The Two Spectres: Resurrection
by CoronaJTV
Summary: Charles Alonso is revived and put back into action to help save the galaxy from a new threat but this time, he's forced to ally himself with the enemy known as Cerberus and reunite and work with an old flame. Sequel to Mass Effect and the Two Spectres: Reclaimer and continuation to the Two Spectres Saga. FemShepxLiara; AlonsoxAshleyxMiranda
1. Freedom's Progress

**Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!**

**Back it again**

**As promised in my previous mini-story, this will start right where we left off so let's get down to it!**

_**I don't own any of the Mass Effect Characters. This is strictly for fun.**_

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Freedom's Progress

**November 2, 2185**

**UT-47 Kodiak - Commander Alonso - 1500 hours**

"We are nearly there Commander, what are your orders?" Miranda spooked me. The shuttle ride was dead silent. Miranda and I stole side glances at one another while Amanda cleared her throat every now and then to make the silence seem less awkward.

"What did Cerberus find in the other colonies?" I asked.

"Nothing." Lawson's shoulders slumped over.

"No clues at all; it's if all the colonists vanished." Amanda added with grimace.

"Alright, keep your eyes open. I don't expect any survivors but they are top priority. Second, find clues as to what happened. Since Freedom's Progress was recently attacked, we could be the first on the scene."

Both operatives nodded. "Understood Commander." Miranda had a feint smile that caused my insides to turn with disgust. _Cheating bitch._

**Minutes later...**

The hairs on the back of my neck began to crawl. _Freedom's Progress is a fucking ghost town._ The weather wasn't helping as the sun had already set and the dark clouds created an even gloomier atmosphere.

"Flashlights." I ordered as I turned on the lights on my N7 helmet while Miranda and Sturridge did the same with on their guns.

"Free and clear." Miranda announced as we cleared the first housing quarters. "Strange... No bodies, no structural damage, no signs of battle." She reported softly.

"Stay focused ladies. Be ready for anything." I whispered as I could have sworn I heard something not that far away ahead of us. We came across a blast doors that slowly opened when we approached.

"I've got a bad feeling about this Charlie." Amanda said as she held her shotgun closer.

"Enemies detected." A robotic voice was heard through the air. Robots stood up from another housing shelter in front of us and began shooting at our direction. I was taken by surprise and my shields drained quickly. I ran towards cover and blindly shot behind the guardrail.

"What the fuck are those!" I shouted as my shields began to recharge.

"Shot first, questions later!" Miranda shot the head of one of the robots clean off and exploded. Its partners that were in the proximity of the blast were destroyed instantly. On our left flank, I squinted as I saw what appeared to be a dog, running towards me.

"Aww look, a dog!" I squealed as the dog leaped up towards me. It's large, red circular eyes began to flash. _Uh oh... _In an instant, blue flames surrounded it and the robot dog flew up towards the air. My eyes followed it until they met Miranda's. "What?" I asked innocently.

"That _cute dog_?" she pointed with her thumb at the floating mech dog as it went past her head, "was going to self-destruct!" Miranda glared at me. I nervously laughed and scratched my shoulder at her coldness.

"Oh... thanks?" I put on a smile. "All clear, let's keep going." I stood up and moved on. Miranda grumbled something under her breath and as Sturridge caught up to me.

"Two things:" Amanda whispered. "Those we LOKI and FENRIS Mechs. Recently produced by the Hahne-Kedar Corporation to minimize casualties so... just a heads up. Second: You know she's going to kill you one day right?" She said with a lopsided smile.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'd love to see her try." I said loud enough that Miranda could hear me.

As we stepped into the next room, Avenger rifles were pointed at us. The three of us raised our hands at the group of quarians. _Are they involved? What did the humans ever do to the Quarians?_

"Stop right there, Cerberus scum." A male Quarian in the center of the group growled as his rifle was pushed into my armor.

"Prazza, stand down! You'd said you let me handle this." A young voice could be heard from the background.

_Wait... I-I know that voice!_ "Tali?" Amanda and I said in unison as the familiar Quarian squished through the menacing Quarians.

"Amanda? Ch-Charlie? Is that-You're alive?" Tali's voice seemed to grow smaller. If I had to guess, she looks like she was smiling...maybe crying with joy?

I smiled and nodded. "Remember when Shepard and I gave you that Geth data?" Tali nodded and ran up to me and I happily greeted her with open arms.

"You're okay." She softly, barely above a whisper and I held her tighter. It was good to see another familiar face. _My favorite Quarian._ I smiled at myself as we stood there. Nothing else mattered. Not even Miranda, who simply looked at me with a glare.

"Did the data help your people Tali?" I gently pushed away, and Tali nodded.

"Yes but...I can't talk to you about it. Not with Cerberus watching us." Tali looked over my shoulder and I nodded in understanding.

"I could use you on my mission Tali. I-"

"I wish I could Commander." Tali brought her head down, "Nothing would make me happier than to be working with you again." She looked back at her Quarian teammates before looking back at me. "But I have my own mission that is important to the whole Migrant Fleet. I can't stop now, even for you."

"Why are _you_ here then? This is a remote, human colony." Miranda crossed her arms across her luscious breasts. I shook my head of where my mind was going and focused on the conversation outside of it.

"We are here for Veetor, a Quarian who's on his pilgrimage." Tali answered back, looking somewhat at Miranda with caution. "He has gone missing and we were sent here to find him."

"I see... maybe you can help us with what happened here. Human colonists have been attacked and humans have gone missing. Cerberus spent two years reviving me and sent me here to investigate."

"What about Shepard?" Tali asked as she turned her attention back to me.

"Miranda has told me that she has...changed. Apparently she is on indefinite leave from the Alliance." I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't believe it myself but I will soon find her and see for myself."

Tali looked over my shoulder and stared at Miranda. "That's Miranda?" She began, her voice filled with fury. "You backstabbing Bosh'tet! I will kill you for hurting him!" Tali pushed me aside and sprinted towards her. Next thing, I knew the two were on the ground, tussling and exchanging punches.

"Hey stop it!" I quickly rushed over and pulled Miranda's body way while Sturridge grabbed Tali's. I sat Miranda on one of the sofas nearby and I scanned for injuries.

"I'm fine!" she sneered as she looked at Tali direction. She jerked away and stood up but I pushed her back down. There were a few cuts along her face and I reached for my medi-gel.

"Settle down!" I ordered louder than I should have. "I won't have catfights under my command. I expect more from my crew." Miranda's body stiffened and her face turned towards me in surprise. "Even from you." I said softly as I gently dabbed medi-gel on her cheek and her chin. Her face soften under my touch. The final cut was over her brow and the pad of my thumb guided over her perfectly shaped brows. Once the medigel was applied, I noticed a single strand of hair coming loose. My hand began to lift to but I immediately stopped.

_What the hell I am doing?_

Miranda and I stared into each other eyes for what seemed to be an eternity. My insides began to feel funny and I felt my body temperature rise. I can't explain this feeling. I swallowed to stop myself from saying stupid and I rose. Miranda cleared her throat and quickly stood as well.

"Thank you." She said evenly as she began to walk away.

"My pleasure." I said with a smile as I looked at her. Miranda froze for a split second. _Shit, did she think..._ "It's my job afterall." _That sounded even worse!_ I opened my mouth to clarify myself once more but the chance was gone as she left the room. I sighed in defeat and rubbed my forehead. _Smooth Commander..._

**Omega - Jane Shepard - 1600 hours**

Garrus has taken it harder than the both of us. We've been betrayed by Sidonis, a Turian. We have just returned to our base in the Gozu District to find our friends slaughtered. I knocked on his door. I need to be here for my friend.

"Garrus, can I come in?" The red lights turned green in hesitation and the door swung open. Garrus stood by the window, looking at the slums of Omega. It's been our home for almost two years and I've gotten used to it. "Garrus I'm sorry."

No response.

I walked closer to the Ex C-Sec cop. He didn't acknowledge me and continued to look out of his window. "This can't be easy for you." I tried again to start a conversation. "If you want to vent or talk, I'm all ears." This time, turned his head to face me. His mandibles twitched and expressed a look of sadness.

"How did I not see this happen? I should have known." He said simply.

"Nobody expects you to be perfect, Garrus. You know that."

"I...I know, I know it's just... How do you do it?" Garrus crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall. This time, it was I that was staring out the window as I tried to come up with an answer.

"How do I deal with loss?" I asked and I saw Garrus nod through the window's reflection. "I used to be able to tell myself to do better for those that are still under my command. To be there for them when they need help or just want to talk. I spent hours and hours just talking with everyone on almost every ship I have ever served on. Charlie was always beside me, following me around. I always enjoyed his company. We joked, laughed together. We were siblings in a lot of ways...but now?"

"You can't do that anymore." Garrus finished. I nodded as a tear came down my eyes.

"It sounds silly that I'm still mourning him...isn't it? I should move on but I can't. I can't imagine him not being by my side. He was so important to me. Still is. I guess we all have changed..."

"Tell me about it. Hell you changed your hair from that fiery red everyone knows you from." The two of us laughed together. It's true, about a year ago, I let my hair grow a bit and began dying my hair all sorts of colors until I dyed it black. Asari and humans: both men and women alike, looked at me with wandering eyes. I liked the attention so I decided to keep it. Right after changing my hairstyle, I went to a doctor that specialized in changing identities. The light shade of blue didn't go well with my new hair color so I told the doctor to change it to a darker shade. I was pleased with the doctor and gave him a large tip.

"Let's just burry our friends and take our anger on our beloved mercs shall we?"

Garrus nodded enthusiastically and grabbed his sniper rifle. "Let's do this."

**Meanwhile...**

**Freedom's Progress - Operative Lawson**

_Why the Illusive Man told me to follow Charlie's orders is beyond me. I'm not sure if he's this stupid or is just doing it just to spite me. _I groaned and glared my eyes once he turned to me and winked. _He's just doing it just to spite me!_

"That was _**not**_ funny!" I grinded my teeth.

"Well we took out the giant mech without a problem. I'd say they joke is on them... Erm, whoever '_them'_ is." He smiled. _Stop smiling damn it!_ "Come on, Veetor must be inside this door." The Commander, Amanda and I stacked behind the door. With a nod, the three of us entered with guns drawn. The room was occupied by a Quarian, who must be Veetor. He's working on something on the large console in front of him. Multiple screens sat on the wall in front of him as he furiously typed, spewing nonsense as he did so.

"Veetor?" Charlie inched forward.

Veetor shook his head. "No Veetor. Not here. Swarms can't find. Monsters coming. Have to hide."

"I...don't think he can hear you Commander." Sturridge reported the obvious as the male Quarian continued to talk incoherently. I activated my omni-tool and began to shut down the monitors. The Quarian stopped talking and looked confused at the sudden darkness of the monitors. The Commander looked at me with an arched eyebrow.

I shrugged my shoulder, not seeing the problem. "We're just standing here when we could be asking questions." I defended my actions, which were the right ones of course.

The Quarian stood and took a step back once he faced us. "You're human. Where did you hide? How come they didn't find you?"

"Who didn't find us?" I asked.

"The...monsters!" Veetor began, "The swarms. They took everyone."

"Slow down Veetor, tell us what happened." Charlie ordered softly.

"You don't know? No, you didn't see. But I see everything." Veetor faced the console and typed a few commands on the keyboard. The screens came back on and Veetor began showing archived footage of the colony.

"What the hell is that?" Amanda spoke nervously as she pointed at the creatures on screen.

I looked at the frozen image and my eyes widened at the discovery. _Are those..._ "My god, I think it's a Collector!" Amanda, Charlie, and Veetor looked at me with curiosity. I shook my head and exhaled. "They're a species from beyond the Omega 4 relay. Few have seen the Collectors in person. They usually work through intermediaries: working with mercenaries or slavers. If...If they're involved with the Reapers, then that could explain why the colonists have disappeared."

"Seeker swarms!" Veetor exclaimed as he nervously jumped up and down while pointing at the small bugs on screen. "No one can hide. The seekers find you. Freeze you. Then monsters take you away!" The vid froze to show a picture of the Collecters leaving with pods.

"What happened next?" Charlie asked.

"The monsters took the humans onto the ship, then left. The ship flew away! But they'll be back for me. No one escapes. I studied them all. Seekers. Monsters. I recorded the readings with my omni-tool. Lots of readings. Electro-magnetic. Dark Energy." Veetor returned to his seat and lowered his head in fear. _I think that's all we'll get out of him._

"We need to get him out of here." I turned towards Charlie. "We need that data. Grab the Quarian and let's get out of here."

The door behind us swung open and I closed my eyes in defeat. I knew that Charlie's friend just waltz in. "What? Veetor is injured, he needs medical treatment, not a damned interrogation!"

"We won't hurt him Tali," Sturridge defended. "We just need to see if he knows anything else. He'll be returned unharmed."

"Her people tried to betray us already Strurridge." I glared at my operative. "If we give him to her, we'll never get that intel."

"Veetor goes with Tali." Charlie said simply.

I did a double take. _Is he insane?_ "Wh-what?"

Charlie turned around and grabbed my shoulder. "He's traumatized and need medical treatment. Tali will give us the information from that Omni-tool and she will return to the flotilla."

I shook my head in defiance. "But-"

"No buts Miranda. That's an order." His eyes were demanding but his touch was soft and gentle. My cheeked felt warm and I cleared my throat to stop myself from showing weakness.

"Understood Commander." I pressed the commands into my onmi-tool and sent the shuttle to pick us up.

"Thanks Charlie." The female Quarian began, "I'm glad that you're in charge. If there's anything I find that can help you, I'll send them right away."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso - 1700 hours**

"Alonso. Good work on Freedom's Progress." Illusive Man began, "I've read the report Lawson gave me and I'm surprised to see your friend Tali to be there. It was unexpected."_ Bullshit! _"As agreed, the Quarians have given us the data and I begun analyzing it. But more importantly, you have confirmed that the Collectors are working with the Reapers."

"Why do I get the feeling you already knew this." I crossed my arms in suspicion. _He's one Illusive bastard. Heh, I get it._

"I've had my suspicions. They quickly travel between the Terminus systems and the unmapped Omega 4 relay. My guess is that the Collector ships have a unique technology that lets them safely travel beyond the relay. If they can manipulate the relays; that provides more evidence that they are somehow connected with the Reapers."

I massaged my stubble as I pondered with the evidence placed before me. _There's no way Sturridge, Lawson and I can take down the reapers. I needed more. I needed the old team back._ "If we're going to war with Reapers, I need an army...or a very solid team."

The Illusive Man smiled and stood from his chair. "I've compiled a list of the top soldiers, scientists, and mercenaries. You'll get dossiers on the best of them. Finding them, convincing them could be difficult but I think you will get the job done. This is your mission Commander and the fate of the galaxy is on your hands. While you assemble your team, I'll begin tracking the Collectors and send the intel straight to you."

I shook my head. "I don't want them. I want Shepard's old team by my side." _No way I'm trusting mercs to have my back._

"That was two years ago Alonso. Most of them have moved on." I measured the Illusive Man. By his tone, I can tell he's hiding something from me. _I should press on, see if I can get any answers._

"Where's Ashley Williams?" The question I've been dying to ask. I need to know where she is. If I can find her, she'll join me for sure.

"She's with the Alliance. She recently received a promotion but her profile is well classified." The Illusive Man responded evenly. _Damn it!_

"What about Shepard?" I asked.

"She is on suspension from the Alliance... other than that, I don't know where she is. We need her on board as well but I don't know where she is." I sighed inwardly as my chances of getting the people I need are getting smaller and smaller.

"Garrus Vakarian?" _Come on he should be available right? Please?_

"The Turian dissapeared a few months after the first Normandy was destroyed. Even we haven't been unable to locate him." _Fuck!_

"Wrex..." I began to sound more desperate.

"After the Normandy was destroyed, he moved back to Tuchunka, where he has stayed since."

"Liara T'Soni." _I swear if she's busy..._

"She's on Illium. My sources say that she is working with the Shadow Broker. If that's the case, then she can't be trusted." _What? The Shadow Broker? That can't be right... she... she wouldn't! I need to talk to her. Or somebody!_

I pinched my nose and exhaled in frustration. "Fine! I can see that they're busy. Send me the list then. I'll get started."

"Already done. I recommend starting with the Salarian Mordin Solus. He's a brilliant scientist and is the man for the job to fight the seeker swarms." _Yeah this is my show. I pick who I want to tackle._ I nodded nonetheless and quickly disconnected the call and made my way towards the CIC to take a look at the dossiers.

"New messages for you Commander." Kelly smiled as I walked passed her. I smiled in return and went over to my terminal on the far side. _Alright let's see. There's Mordin: worked in STG for a few years. Expert geneticist, doctor and scientist. Considered ruthless at times. _Seems like the man for the job._ There's these Mercenaries from Omega: Archangel and Lucifer...cute. _I rolled my eyes at the two names. _What two idiots came up with those names? Archangel is an expert tactician and strategist while Lucifer is a ruthless soldier and natural leader. Both of them are responsible for the attacks on the three major gangs stationed on Omega. Zaeed Massani: Ruthless bounty hunter and mercenary soldier. He's been in countless battles and has a few scars to show for it._

_Well it looks like we're heading to Omega._ "Joker, set a course to Omega."

"Aye aye. Should be there tomorrow afternoon." I turned around and headed for the elevator. I pressed the button for the crew deck and get to know my crew. My stomach growled once the elevator doors opened. _I should probably eat something too._

"Hey Charlie." I jumped and turned around.

"Oh hey Amanda. God you scared me." I breathed out through my nose as I grabbed myself a tray.

"I see that I can still do that to you." The engineer giggled.

"I guess so. Here to join me?" I asked. Amanda nodded and introduced me to the cook, Rupert Gardner. He seemed nice for a Cerberus agent. I felt sorry for him once he began to talk about how he lost his family. Amanda and I said our thanks and went to the large table on the mess hall.

"I guess I should say that I'm impressed what I've seen so far out there in the field. I was nervous for you out there." I admitted. "Glad you proved me wrong."

"I've had a lot of help from Operative Lawson. She's been my mentor for quite some time now." The engineer's eyes glimmered as she spoke. I looked at her with curiosity. "What?" she asked as she stuff herself with slop.

"It's just... everything has changed. I remember how young and innocent you were back on the Normandy. Now I look at you and well... you've matured. I don't know if I should be proud of you or sad that I wasn't around for that." Amanda reached over and grabbed my hands and held them firmly. "I missed two years and the whole team is gone. Now I'm here. Alive. And being asked to do who knows what. I'll probably die again once this whole Collector thing is over. I doubt Cerberus has enough money to spend on my resurrection again."

"You're not going to die Charlie. Not with your new squad there to have your back. We won't let you down."

"Thanks." I smiled and nodded before we began talking about other unimportant things for about half an hour.

"I should get back to my duties Commander. I'll be down in Engineering, if you want to talk. You should probably go talk to your ex." Amanda grinned, "Her office is in the old Captain's quarters." Amanda winked, cleaned up and left to her post.

I sighed as I looked at Lawson's door. _I guess she's right. Well, here goes nothing._ I punched the door's controls and there she was. Working on her terminal, doing whatever she does. _Her hands move so fast!_

"Hello Commander. Something I can help you with?" Her tone was friendly and comforting. I gave her a thin smile and sat one of her chairs in front of her desk.

"I wanted to apologize for my foolishness back there. It was-"

"-Completely unprofessional and not to mention childish." Miranda butted in. Her fingers stopped moving and her welcoming tone had long since dissipated.

"Yeah... that. Sorry." I scratched my shoulder nervously and I began to blush.

"You don't take this whole situation seriously do you?" she asked.

"What thing?" I asked with confusion in my voice.

"Taking charge I mean. During the last mission, I...I couldn't help but feel like you didn't care to be there. Apart from your orders from the shuttle, there wasn't a plan for you. You were-"

"-There wasn't a plan after that." I quickly interrupted.

Miranda looked at me with shock as soon as I said that. "Commander, there should always be a plan!"

"I don't do plans Lawson. Things just happen."

"Like the mech dog? The incident with the FENRIS mech could have been avoided!" Miranda slammed her fists on the table, which startled me. "I'm responsible for _your_ safety! Things would've gotten a whole lot worse if I hadn't gotten involved."

"I can take care of myself _Miranda!_" I snarled at her name. _I'm not taking this! Not from her. Even if she is my XO._

Miranda scoffed in response. "Clearly."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" My brows furrowed as I sensed an argument approaching.

"It means that you're suicidal. You do not care about your well being when you should be! What you did on Freedom's Progress was unbelievable. Are you bloody insane?" Miranda was now practically leaning over her desk.

"There are many things that I am _Operative Lawson,_" I got up from my chair and mimicked Miranda's posture so that we were just inches from one another. "but I am _**not **_insane!"

"Your actions say otherwise. I still don't even understand why The Illusive Man even decided to revive you." Lawson pushed herself off the desk and angrily crossed her arms. "Why I fell for you is another question." That was like a hit in the gut. A low blow.

"Oh we're going there are we? Finally!" My brows furrowed as I clenched my hands to form a fist. "Be my guest princess because last time I checked, it was you who ended things. **You!** It was clear how much you loved me."

"Yet you went to be with Williams in an heartbeat." Lawson quickly averted the guilt to her but I won't stand for that.

"Leave her out of this!" I quickly shouted. "She has nothing to do with this." I shook my head in frustration. "I went to her **after **you cheated on me. Don't you fucking pin this shit on her because it's not her fault!"

"Yet, she's not the one who revived you. I did!"

"So you're saying that you did this because you love me?"_ I don't get this woman._

"Not even close." Her radiant blue eyes glared into mine as if I was insane to even mention it. _I don't get this woman **at**** all!**_

I flailed my arms in frustration. "I've had enough of this." I turned heal and walked out of her office. Soft clacks could be heard following me.

"This conversation isn't over Commander." Miranda's petite hands grabbed my wrist and I quickly pulled away and turned to her in anger.

"Do _not_ touch me!" I flared my biotics instantly.

"You can't possibly hurt me Charlie." Miranda countered as she did the same.

"And you can't either. I'm your pet project remember?" We stared each other down until we both surrendered in unison.

"And the CO so start acting like one!" she yelled.

"Isn't that why you're the XO? To keep me in check?" I replied coolly.

"Th-That doesn't mean that I'm not here to babysit you Charlie!"

"You could if you wanted to, sweetheart." I smirked at the brunette who seemed to get angrier and angrier by the second.

"I said don't call me that!"

"I know. I just love it when you get angry my love." I quickly reached to touch her face once. Miranda jolted away but I reached for her again. The pad of my thumb grazed where her cuts once were. I dropped my hands and I smiled as the cuts have been fully healed though there was a small bruise near her chin line. I grinned at Miranda's sudden blush.

"Just..." Miranda pinched her nose in frustration. "Don't let the mech incident happen again." she finished softly.

"No promises." I smiled wickedly, which Miranda responded with shaking her head in annoyance. We stared at each other for what seemed to be a long time after that. The air around me started to get very hot. I could see a few crew members have been staring at us since we've walked out of the XO office.

"Was there something else or were you here just here to pester me?" _I think I've had enough of the icy cold bitch for one day._

"No. Get back to your _precious_ work." I turned around and headed towards the elevator. I pressed the elevator that would take me back to my cabin where surely a welcoming bed would be there for me. As I walked into my cabin for the first time, I stopped and froze as soon as I noticed the large but empty fish tank I had for the wall. My brows lifted in surprise as I pictured tons of fish swimming freely inside.

"You guys can build a ship, I will give you that." I said aloud to myself. I turned towards my bed and flopped towards it and fell into a deep sleep.

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**Alrighty, gosh this chapter took a lot out of me, especially the last bit there. As much as I love Miranda, Charlie and the beautiful operative will continue to tangle for a bit.**

** I have some things in store for fighting couple ;)**

**Next stop is Omega and the meeting with Aria and the Mercenary duo mission which means that their will be tears flowing in the next chapter :p**

**So with the first chapter in the books, I hope that you enjoyed reading it. Leave a review and favorite, follow and subscribe to me and my story for story/chapter updates.**

**Thank you to my previous story reviewers. and I want to address one particular reviewer: Yes, Charlie's parents died in the Attack of the Citadel but unfortunately, he doesn't know yet. He will know eventually.**

**Until next time**


	2. Archangel and Lucifer

**Hello readers!**

**Back for a new Chapter. Recruiting three in one chapter FTW. Spent hours and hours editing and cutting out things. This is what I finished off with. Hope you guys like it! :)**

_**I don't own any of the Mass Effect Characters. This is strictly for fun.**_

**See you on the other side**

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**Archangel and Lucifer**

**November 2, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - XO Office - Operative Lawson - 0400 hours**

I woke up from a loud beeping nearby. My omni-tool and my terminal on the opposite side of the room began to flash. _It's about the Commander._ I said to myself as I saw Alonso's heartbeat began spiking much like the unplanned awakening months ago. I quickly put on a robe, grabbed my med kit and rushed towards the cabin. Once the door to the Commander's cabin opened, I quickly saw Charlie tossing and turning on his bed, breathing and sweating heavily. I rushed by his side and began to scan him.

"Relax Commander, it's alright." I whispered and I stroked his cheek with one hand as I scanned the commander's body with the other. The scans came back negative. Everything showed up normal but the Commander continued to tossing around.

"No... Kaidan. Ashley! Shepard do something!" Charlie shouted while in deep sleep. My heart ached as I saw him in pain. _God, he's having nightmares_. I crawled further into his bed and held him close. His body shivered slightly and I pulled the sheets over our bodies. His body was cold and I jumped during initial contact. As I held him, his breathing began to slow down and return to normal. The commander turned to his side and wrapped his arms around me. An unexpected heat coursed through my cheeks as he nuzzled his face into my neck. I looked down at him and smiled as it looked like the nightmare has passed. The commander breathed deeply into my neck, the warm air was comforting and I inched myself closer to him. _For once, we aren't fighting_. I sighed in relief stayed awake for a few moments. I wanted this moment to last forever, with the commander needing my help and that I'll be there for him. However life isn't about wants and needs.

**Omega - SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 0830 hours**

I woke up with some discomfort in my neck. I groaned as I rubbed my eyes and heard a soft moan beside me. I looked down towards my chest and saw a thin arm across it. I slowly turned my neck and found Miranda's body sleeping next to me. My eyes widened and pushed myself off the bed, crashing into the cold floor below. Miranda jolted awake and began looking around before her own eyes widened with shock. She jumped out of bed and tightened her robe closer to her body, showing off her wonderful curves.

I furrowed my brows and glared my eyes at the woman. "What the hell are you doing here and why were you in _my _bed?"

With her mouth agape, she replied, "I...I must have dozed off."

"That still doesn't explain why you are here." I held my gaze.

"Your heartbeat was growing rapidly and I came up in the middle of the night to check on you." She began evenly, "You were having nightmares and I stayed here to make sure you're okay."

"And that gave you a reason to sleep with me?" I asked. My face burned in anger. _I can't believe she did that! We aren't together anymore._

"You weren't complaining." She scoffed and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Get out of my cabin, Lawson." I pointed towards the door and Miranda grinned at me before walking out of my quarters. I held my face in my hands once the doors sealed. _Shit_. _Why me?_ I groaned as I stood from the floor and walked up the small steps and into my personal bathroom. I looked myself in the mirror and couldn't help but run my hands along my glowing red scars.

"Alonso?" I jumped in surprise when I heard EDI's voice. I sighed and grabbed the edges of the faucet.

"Yes, EDI what is it?" I asked as I continued to look myself in the mirror.

"We will arrive on Omega in three hours." EDI reported

"Thanks. Tell Lawson and Sturridge to be ready and report to the bridge once we dock. I don't want to see Miranda right now."

"Of course Commander. Logging you out."

**Fifteen minutes later...**

After a long shower, I got dressed and decided to look at the extranet. I watched Galaxy News Network's reports when I died. There was a mini-documentary that showed footage of myself that I never even seen before. Footage of Jane and I during combat training, and our leisure trips back home. I then found my funeral ceremony. My brows furrowed in sadness as I saw Shepard tear up during her speech and collapse on the floor in tears. I saw Ashley come on screen and held Shepard in her arms. Then the vid came to a halt shortly after. I leaned back into my seat as the image of Shepard crying burned into my mind.

_I'm sorry Jane...I didn't think that you were going to take it so hard. If you're still out there, I hope to find you and set you free. I miss you so much._

**Omega - Normandy Docking Bay - Commander Alonso - 1100 hours**

My nose immediately scrunched at the smell of piss, puke...and... something else. I pinched my nose to block the smell but even that didn't seem to help. A batarian approached the two Cerberus operatives and me as we stepped off and walked the long passageway.

The batarian laughed at my facial expression. "You'll get used to it Commander. Name's Moklan, I'm one of Aria's messengers. She is expecting you in club Afterlife."

"You know who I am?" I asked and the batarian simply laughed again.

"Of course. We tagged you as soon as you hit the Terminus systems. Aria wants to know what a dead spectre is doing in her station. I would suggest you go now, you don't want to keep her waiting." Moklan's eyes glared at me and I nodded. "Good. Pleasure knowing you." Moklan left the way he came.

"Be on your guard Alonso. Aria can be...aggressive." Miranda warned as we walked out into the opened space. I looked out at the various spots around me. Neon lights and large vid screens hanged and illuminated buildings and the streets of Omega. One could get lost in the various alleyways. This is a perfect place for mercenaries and criminals.

"Please, someone help me!" I heard a weak voice cry in pain by one of the taxi cabs to my left. A batarian lied on the ground, holding his stomach and coughing up blood. A another man, a human stood over him with his Predator gun to his face."

"Nobody said you could bloody talk!" The human grunted in a heavy accent. I looked at Miranda who simply mouthed 'Zaeed' and I moved my hands to my pistol and she took the hint. I turned towards Amanda who also nodded in affirmation.

I walked closer to the yellow and white armored man and cleared my throat. "You Zaeed Massani?" The man lifted his head and slowly turned around and smirked. He looks more menacing than the photo that was in his dossier. Scars covered his face and it looks like he took some sort of grenade or rocket blast to his face at some point.

"Yeah, that's me. You must be Commander Alonso." The aging man extended the arm and I instantly shook it. "I heard we have a galaxy to save."

"That's right." I looked down at the batarian. "He a job?"

"Yeah, Aria hired me to capture this man alive. I have been chasing this son of a bitch throughout the whole station. He's one slippery bastard."

"Please, don't let him take me to her."

"Is Aria _really _that dangerous?" I asked to nobody in particular.

Miranda sniffed outwardly. "Aria rules Omega with an iron fist. When she arrived to Omega, she worked as a dancer at Afterlife. Soon after, she killed the owner and took ownership herself."

"Clever girl." I smiled with admiration.

"Indeed." Miranda nodded and continued. "Later, she formed allegiances and overthrew the ruler of the station. A krogan."

"A Krogan?" I repeated as my eyebrows arched upward. "I see... well then let's be careful when we meet her." I looked at Zaeed. "Do what you have to do and report to the Normandy. Welcome aboard." The batarian gasped in fear and began to make a break for it. _Yeah good luck with that._

Zaeed sighed in annoyance and shot the fleeting batarian in the leg. The weakened man fell like a sack of potatoes. "I better turn him in before he starts to stink." I grimaced at the thought and made my way into the markets.

"Commander, we shouldn't really keep Aria waiting." Miranda looked back at the club as we passed through a series of doors.

I waved her off. "Don't worry about it. She will be busy with her new friend. We can do a little shopping before we meet the Queen."

We ran across some shops and Miranda provided some hints on what to buy. There were a few black market items also available and Miranda told me that there are some upgrades that can make me even stronger. I smiled as I purchased a skin weave upgrade, a shotgun and sniper rifle damage upgrade, heavy weapon capacity ammo and a hack module.

"Put them on her tab." I pointed at Miranda who grumbled under her breath. "Oh hey, an armor shop!" I exclaimed sarcastically and I heard Miranda sigh in frustration. I saw a Serrice Council armor that piqued my interest. I provided extra biotic damage that would be extremely helpful. "I'll take it jet black with N7 striping please." I smiled at the clerk who began to bring out the armor off of the case.

"I'll send someone to pick it up." Miranda snarled as she looked at the bill. "You know someday you'll pay up for this right?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever sweatheart." I winked at the brunette and walked out of the store. _Now let's go pay a visit to the ruler of this shithole._

We walked into the door without any trouble. The thumping bass began getting louder with each step the three of us took. Three batarians stood from the seats out in the lobby. Two sat with assault rifles at the ready while the other, who looks like the leader, glares his eyes at me."What are you looking at, _human._" The one in the center growled. _What's this fucker's problem?_

"The man whose day I'm about to ruin." I replied coldly and reached for the alien's collar as Sturridge and Lawson reached for their weapons and pointed them at the other two.

"Uh... I-I don't want any trouble!" his voice was filled with fear. _Pussy._

"Well maybe _I am_. Maybe you'd better get out before I find you some..._batarian._" I watched the three run out of the club, stumbling one on top of the other. The door closed as the three fell to the ground.

"Idiots." Miranda and I scoffed in unison.

The door opened and my eyes stared in awe. There was a large circular screen that had an asari dancing sensually. The screen was surrounded by a platform that was accompanied with scantily clad asari dancing around.

The three of us pushed the crowd to the side as we approached a turian who held up his hands, "Aria's expecting you." He said simply as he made a gesture to follow him. We followed him as he led us up the steps towards a private booth. To my left were a few seats where a batarian and a turian were enjoying some asari hospitality. To my right we armed bodyguards and an asari who observed the dance floor below. She wore long boots, dark, thigh-padded pants, a white leather jacket and some sort of harness looking shirt that exposed her hips. Her facial tatoos were the most beautiful I think I have ever seen. She screamed both sex appeal and menace. A woman who could seduce you, take you to bed, and kill you in the same night. I stepped forward, only to be interrupted but a Turian's gun pointed at my head.

"That's close enough." The asari spoke and looked at a batarian, who nodded and began to scan me with his omni-tool

"If you're looking for weapons," I unholstered my pistol and waved it in front of the guard. "you're obviously not doing your job."

"Can't be too careful with _dead_ Spectres. It could be anyone wearing your face."

"Do you run Omega?" I asked as I placed my gun back into my hip. Aria looked at me, prowling and soon laughed hysterically and turned around to face the large screen in front of her.

"I _AM_ OMEGA!" She roared proudly. She turned wistfully and sat on her chair. "But you need more. Everyone needs more of _something._ And they all come to me. I am the boss, CEO, queen if you're feeling dramatic. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule." Aria leaned back and rested her arms on the sofa's headrest while crossing her legs. "Don't. Fuck. With Aria." She finished with a evil smile and I couldn't help but smile as well. _Seems I have something in common with her._ She waved her hand at the adjacent sofa and I sat and crossed my arms over my chest. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for the two mercs Archangel and Lucifer." I leaned forwards, hoping to find a hint on where to start.

Aria huffed and smiled. "You and half of Omega are looking for those two buffoons. Do you want them dead as well?"

"No. I'm assembling a team and they are on my list."

"Interesting." She placed a finger on her bottom lip. "You're going to make some enemies teaming up with those two. That's assuming you can get to their position. They're in a bit of trouble right now."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The local merc groups have joined forces to take them down. They've got 'em cornered, but it seems like they're having trouble finishing them off. The Blue Suns, Blood Pack and Eclipse have began hiring _anybody_ with a gun to help them."

_Aha! That's our way in._

"They are using a private room for recruiting." Aria pointed her thumb lazily to her left. "Just over there. I'm sure they'll sign you up."

"What do you know about them?"

"Only that they are reckless and stupid. Other than that, I don't really care. They seem wise enough to stay away from me. I like to keep it that way."

"Thanks for the help." Aria bowed uncharacteristically and I returned it.

"Maybe you should loosen up a bit, there are plenty of asari here. Maybe that human behind you will please you. She seems eager to get out of that jumpsuit of hers. If you don't get her out of them, I will" Aria smiled and I heard Miranda began cough. I looked back at her and her face flushed pink. I turned back to the Queen of Omega, finding her licking her lips. "She looks delicious."

"You will do no such thing." I growled at the asari who simply laughed. A flailed my arms in frustration and embarrassment and I walked out of Aria's VIP booth.

**Omega - Gozu District - Garrus Vakarian - 1300 hours**

"That's thirty!" Shepard yelled from the downstairs as she took another amateur down.

"Still got some catching up to do!" I yelled back before looking through my sniper scope. I had another merc on my sights and I pulled the trigger. His head exploded, blood and brains splattered everywhere around the corpse. "Forty-five!" I yelled.

"Damn it he was mine!" Shepard. I laughed but was interrupted by my omni-tool.

"Shepard! They've got a breach down on the lower levels!"

"I'm on it!" Shepard yelled as she went to our cargo area.

I looked back into my rifle scope and more and more mercenaries hopped over the fence shooting. I began picking them off but then I observed closely. Three mercenaries began shooting at the others. I zoomed in one of them and saw an N7 emblem on his chest. _An alliance soldier?_ _That's a bit odd._ _New recruits? Doubtful. One way to find out_. I began shooting concussive shots at the trio but never shot back. Instead, they seemed to hurry towards my location.

_Hmm...Interesting. Time to meet this mystery guest._

**Omega - Gozu District - Commander Alonso - 1315**

My squad and I quietly began walking up the steps, and made our way to Archangel's last position. I found the helmeted turian looking through his sniper rifle scope. "Archangel?" I looked at my squad and they moved to flank him. If he is indeed hostile, we need to be prepared. Archangel lifted his arm, asking me to wait. He pulled the trigger to his rifle and stood from his crouched position. _His blue and black armor has seen better days. _I said to myself as I measured the turian. He began making his way towards us while taking off his helmet.

I froze, causing to release my grasp of my shotgun as the turian and we looked at each other. I'm not sure which one of us is surprised to see the other. "Garrus?" I asked in disbelief.

"Charlie." My turian friend's mandibles twitched and formed a smile. "I can't believe it's you."

"Garrus!" I stepped closer and punched the Turian's arm. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Oh you know. Target practice, keeping myself busy." Garrus looked down at the floor below. His tone made me worry.

"You okay?" I asked.

Garrus shrugged his shoulder. "I've seen better days Commander. Still, it's good to see you."

"I guess I'm here to save your ass...again." I smirked and Garrus laughed.

"Hey, killing mercs is hard work. I _really _had to work at it." Garrus defended.

"Yeah," I chuckled, "so I've seen. You and your partner have gotten everyone's attention. Speaking of which..." I looked around, finding nobody along side of Garrus. "Where is he?"

"She." Garrus corrected. I arched my eyes at him, asking him to continue. "It's Shepard." My heart skipped a beat. _Shepard? She's here?_

"What! Where is she? Tell me she's alive." I began to worry that she wasn't here.

"She's down by the cargo bay a few levels dow-"

"Garrus! Garrus do you copy!" A woman's voice came through Garrus' omni-tool, Shepard's voice.

"I'm here, what wrong?" Garrus replied quickly.

"There's too many of them!" Shepard cried out. "Get your turian ass over here! NOW!" As if on cue, gunfire began whizzing past us. The four of us took cover and looked out at the gate.

"Looks like they've regrouped. Eclipse are starting their attack." Garrus took a quick peak once more. "Go get her."

"I won't leave you alone." I looked at Amanda. "Stay here and cover him."

"Good to see you are still around Miss Sturridge." Garrus and Amanda exchanged nods and began taking blind shots at the mercs below.

"Come one Lawson." I jumped over the the guardrail, flaring my biotics to steady my fall. I biotically pushed two pyros as I made my way downstairs to find Shepard. _Hang in there Jane. I'm coming._

**Meanwhile...**

**Omega - Commander Shepard **

_Damn it! Where the hell is he? _I grunted as more and more mercenaries began making their way through the blastdoor. I tried to make it towards the button but my shields failed and got shot on the arm. I winced in pain as I dabbed medi-gel generously on my arm. I picked up my Vindicator rifle from the floor and picked more enemies. I hear a few menacing growls as I saw a pack of Varen approaching from the darkness. _Shit!_ I cursed. _I don't know how long I can last._ I check the thermal clips of my weapons, cursing again when I noticed that I had run out of clips for my pistol and had only ten shots for my rifle. _I wish I didn't give Garrus my sniper._ I closed my eyes for a brief moment to calm myself down. My thoughts went to Charlie and Liara. The two people I loved most, gone from my life. One was taken and the other I drove away. I held my rifle close and stood from cover, ready to end this. _You won't be alone for much longer Charlie..._

"Come and get some you assholes!" I screamed as I jumped over and clobbered a salarian, wiggling off a Varen who was biting through my regenerated shields and shot him point blank range. I was tackled to the ground by another one, causing my rifle to slip from my grasp as slide away from me. I punched and punched until I had nothing left. Then a blue biotic ball appeared above me. The mass effect field pulled the Varen and myself and we were soon floating around it. I was pushed off of the singularity field, crashing into a pile of crates.

"Miranda, warp. Now!" I heard a man's voice in a distance. I began seeing stars as two blurry figures began shooting elsewhere. "Let's shut the door and get her out of here." I managed to hear. A few minutes later, the two figures came back and huddled next to me.

"Commander Shepard can you hear me?" one figured said. A woman but was pushed away.

"Jane? Jane can you hear me. Talk to me." My vision began to return. Slowly but surely the figure turned to an armored man. I looked closely as I noticed an N7 emblem on his chest piece. The man took off his helmet to reveal a smile. That smile, the same hazel colored eyes. One noticeable difference were the man's scars. Glowing red in color. Everything else... was the same. _This can't be... I can't be dead already can I? Am I in heaven?_

"Ch-Charlie?" I asked. His smiled grew wider in return and I felt myself losing consciousness.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso - 1500 hours**

I paced the far side of the Briefing room. Garrus took a massive blow from the gunship I sabotaged earlier. I panicked as I saw Garrus' blood all over the floor. I hope Miranda can help him. _I miss Chakwas. She could fix him in an instant._ "He'll be fine Commander." Amanda assured Lawson's medical abilities. The door swung open and Miranda walked in with her lab coat.

"He lost a lot of blood." Miranda reported, "I had cybernetics installed but he should be out for a while. Until then, I suggest-" The door opened again and Garrus walked in as if nothing happened. I breathed a sigh of relief at the Turian's strength.

"Nobody would give me a mirror Commander." Garrus waltz in, "how bad is it? Be honest."

"Hell Garrus, you've always looked ugly. Slap some face paint on there and nobody would tell the difference." I smirked as I crossed my arms.

Garrus laughed, only to wince in pain shortly after. "Ugh, don't make me laugh! My face is barely holding as it is."

I chuckled, even though I was worried for him. "Sorry. Couldn't help it."

Garrus shrugged his shoulder as he supported himself on the table. "Probably for the best. Everyone was always ignoring you and hitting on me. Time for you to get a fair shot." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. _God it's good to have a familiar face on board...well two. _Shepard feinted once she saw me and was in the medbay. Lawson and Sturridge excused themselves so I could talk to the turian alone.

Garrus sighed and looked at me. "Frankly, I'm more worried about you. Cerberus? You know you remember those sick experiments. And Sturridge is with them too?"

"I do," I replied, nodding. "but I don't have a choice in this. The reapers are back and Cerberus spend time and money to bring me back. As for Amanda, she left once the Normandy was destroyed. She came back once she found out about Cerberus' plan for me. I trust her. She wouldn't lie to me. Not after all we've been through." I sighed and thought of Shepard. To have her back is...overwhelming. "I need people I can trust; that's why I'm glad you and Shepard are here. I need people who will stand with me and fight the reapers and take down the Collectors."

"Hmm." Garrus pondered. "You do realize this plan of yours has me walking into hell too right?" Garrus laughed before grunting in pain. "Just like old times. I'm fit for duty whenever you need me. I'll settle in and see what I can do with the Normandy's guns. You might want to check in with Shepard. She's...been lost without you."

I nodded and walked with Garrus down to the crew deck. I walked into the medbay and found Shepard lying on one of the beds, sleeping. I walked up next to her and searched for her hand. She looks different than what I remember. He had grown her hair from the short, messy look she had. She also dyed her hair black which complemented her well considering. I found myself stroking her hair as she slept. I was interrupted by a moan shortly after as Shepard started to wake up.

"Charlie?" she said softly as she opened her eyes. I frowned as she also changed her eye color too. _Am I the reason for all the changes?_ I asked myself. "Is...Is that you?"

"Yes. It's me." I replied softly as her hands touched my face. Tears began to fall down our faces as we had each other back into our lives. There wasn't any pain for the both of us. We embraced each other like if it's been twenty years since we've seen each other.

"It's you!" she cried into my neck. "It's really you..." Jane reluctantly pulled away, cleaning tears from her face. "but how? I don't understand."

"Come on." I extended my hand for her to take. She took it and we walked into the elevator. I guided her towards my cabin and she looked around in amazement.

"This is yours?" she asked, as she looked at the fishtank before turning back to me. I nodded yes as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"I have been in a coma for about two years. Cerberus spent those two years and large amounts of credits to bring me back."

"What do they want with you?" She asked worryingly.

"To be there puppet would be my guess. Do you know about the human colonies that have been disappearing?" Jane nodded and I continued. "The Reapers are back with a new slave working for them: The Collectors. They are the ones behind the abductions. The Illusive Man put Miranda in charge of-"

"Wait... Miranda? _The_ Miranda?" I nodded and Jane's face turned to anger. "Is she here?"

"She's the XO." I replied softly.

"I don't care what she is! How dare she just end things with you and suddenly be forced back into your life again! You don't deserve this torture. I'm going down to her office and show her a piece of my mind!" She began to march out but I put her in a stasis field.

"You will do no such thing." I stood from the bed and inched closer to my best friend. "Will you behave? Blink once if yes." Jane blinked once with hesitation and I dropped the stasis field. "Look," I pinched my nose and sighed at my current predicament. "Miranda is an important part of my team right now. She's a very powerful biotic and an expert tactician and leader. I won't let you harm her."

"Because you still have feeling for her or because she's part of your crew?" Jane glared. I was taken back by Shepard's tone. I began to respond but nothing came out. _I do not love her_. I argued with myself, shaking my head to wipe away my feelings.

"Because she's a part of my crew, Jane. I won't have this behavior on my ship. Are we clear?"

Shepard grunted in defeat as she sat on the sofa. "Fine." I exhaled and sat alongside her.

"I'm sorry." Jane looked at me with confusion and freight. She tried to hide her fear of losing me but it was so clear to me as I watched her. "I'm sorry for what I did. I was looking out for you, just like a member of your crew would. I...I'm sorry about Liara."

"Yeah well..." Tears flowed down her face. "How could you! That was not your call to make! I had things under control Charlie! As a commanding officer, I was responsible for your life. And you threw it away."

"I had no choice. I didn't mean it to end it that way. I saved yours and Joker's life in the end and that's what mattered to me."

"What about me!" she cried. "What about what I want? I was so lost without you. I even drove Liara away because of this!" I found myself holding Shepard's shivering body. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand by and see her like this.

"I'm sorry." It's the only thing I can say. I caused so much grief and pain that it hurts to breathe. Jane clanged on to me as if her life depended on it. With Liara away from her, I'm the only one that's left. The only person she's got.

"You should get some sleep." I said after a long, shared silence.

Jane shook her head ferociously. "I'm not leaving you out of my sight. I can't lose you again."

"You won't. I promise." I tried to pull Shepard away but she refused to let go of me. "Would if help if I went to sleep with you?" Jane nodded. I carried Shepard and gently set her on one side of the bed as I walked around and lied down on my side. Shepard inched closer and wrapped her arms around me.

"I missed you so much." Jane said softly. "I was ready to die before you came in and rescued me."

"Well I'm glad I got there when I did. I doubt Cerberus would spend the money to rebuild you too." I was greeted to a playful punch on the shoulder.

"I see you're still a jerk when you want to be." Jane and I chuckled before holding each other once more.

"Welcome to our new home Shepard."

Jane smiled and kissed me on the cheek before resting her head on my chest. "I'm glad to be home. I'm right where I should be."

* * *

**YAAY!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. **

**Thanks to my recent followers. You guys are awesome.**

**Would like more reviews though so I can find out where to improve on stuff (maybe on some stuff you would like to see?) or if you guys are enjoying it or disliking it (with helpful criticism of course).**

**Next chapter will be about everyone's favorite Salarian scientist.**

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**Until next time**


	3. Wish You Were Here

**Hello everyone!**

**Sorry for the delay. Been extremely busy with a report for school.**

**Anyways... Mordin mission and some other stuff between Miranda and Charlie in this chapter.**

**Hope you guys enjoy!**

**See you on the other side**

* * *

Wish You Were Here

**November 2, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 2100 hours**

I left Shepard on my bed. She was exhausted and I had decided to leave her be. Now that I have some spare time, I needed to contact a few people: Hackett, Anderson, Ashley and my parents to name a few. I need to let them know that I'm alive.

After sending a quick message to the admiral and the human councilor, I began to type a brief message to my parents.

_Mom, Dad_

_Hi_

_I hope you two get this message okay. I miss you guys so much._

_I just want to tell you that I'm alive and that this isn't some sort of sick joke._

_I'm alive._

_I hope that we can meet on the Citadel. I'm on Omega right now, building a team to fight the Reapers again._

_I have a ship now! (How crazy is that!)... Anyways I just wanted-_

"Commander?" EDI's voice and avatar interrupted.

"Yes, EDI what's up?"

"Operative Lawson is inquiring about Professor Mordin Solus." I saw Shepard began to toss in my bed. _Great..._

"I'll come down to see her in a few minutes." I replied back. EDI's avatar disappeared as quickly as she arrived. Shepard began to prop herself by the elbows, yawning and looking around for me. I stood from my chair and sat on my bed in an angle.

"About time you woke up." I smiled. "Sleep well?"

"I was!" Jane wiped her eyes. "Who was that?" she asked.

"That's EDI, the Normandy's new toy." Jane's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. "She's an AI."

"Oh..." she said simply as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Everything okay?" I asked as I scooted next to her.

"I'm just tired. Garrus and I have been through hell." Jane's skin was pale. She looked up at me and asked. "What were you up to?"

"I just finished sending messages to Hackett, Anderson and Chakwas. We need a real doctor and all we have is Miranda for that and...well I don't want her yelling at me for not being careful. I was just writing a message to mom and dad to let them know that I'm still alive." Shepard's face began to turn even whiter. "Something wrong? Can I get you something?" I expressed a look of worry. I rested the back of my palm on her forehead to see if she had gotten a fever but Jane quickly brushed it to the side.

"No, it's not that." Jane averted her gaze and began pacing the floor.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Jane, you're scaring me."

Jane began fidgeting with her fingers as she paced. She is nervous. Her mouth began to speak but no words came out. She tried to more times before she even got a word out. "I don't know how to say this Charlie." Jane stopped and looked at me, arms straight to the side with her fist clenched together. "Charlie..." Jane froze again. "Charlie your parents are dead." I felt cold all of a sudden. I simply stared far off in the distance. "Charlie, I'm sorry." Jane sat beside me and held me. I didn't feel her...I didn't feel anything. _Mom and dad are gone... and I didn't know?_

"How long?" I asked, barely able to form such a question.

"They died at the hands of Sovereign. We didn't get the reports until almost two months after your death. The SSV Madrid and Cape Town were one of the many ships that were destroyed protecting the Destiny Ascension. I...I'm sorry." A heavy stream of tears fell down my face. It was then when I reciprocated Shepard and held her close. We both cried for a few minutes. _I'm on my own again._

"I never said goodbye to them. I'm on my own again."

"That's not true. I'm here with you and you know that."

I pulled away from Shepard's embrace. "I..." I sighed. "you're right."

"I'm always right." Jane wiped more tears that were falling with the pad of her thumb. I chuckled as I wiped my tears away. Jane smiled and I hugged her again.

"I'm so happy you're here."

There was a knock on my door. "Commander?" I groaned at Miranda's intrusion.

"Miranda?" Jane asked as she looked at the door. I stood up and walked over to the door, wiping my tears as I walked along.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you." I grunted as I unlocked the door. Miranda stepped inside and noticed Shepard and me standing. The both of us were glaring at her.

"Oh, hello Shepard." Miranda gave a weak smile. Jane was unimpressed but that didn't stop Miranda. "Commander," Lawson turned to me. "We need to recruit Professor Solus as soon as possible. We need him to counteract the seeker swarms."

"Yes, EDI has already interrupted Shepard's sleep because of it." I continued to glare.

"I apologize for that but we need to work. The Reapers are _not_ going to stand by and wait for us."

I scratched my shoulder and sighed. "Fine, we'll go right now if you want princess. Tell Sturridge and Zaeed to get ready."

It was Miranda's turn to glare as I said 'princess' but she decided to act against it. She nodded and walked victoriously to the elevator.

"I'm going." Jane blurted out as soon as the door to my quarters closed.

I shook my head. "Jane you are exhausted. I don't think that-"

"I'm going, _Commander._ That's final." _God, when did you get so stubborn!_

"Fine! Go take a shower and meet me on the bridge. You stink."

"I do not!" Jane's mouth mockingly opened with shock. I rolled her eyes and pointed at my bathroom. "Fine I'm going, I'm going." Jane raised her hands in surrender. I quickly took the elevator down to the crew deck and got a few snacks for her. I wasn't going to let her pass out of starvation without any form of nutrition.

Once, I entered my quarters once more, I set the items on my desk and went towards my closet. A smiled formed my lips as I saw my new Serrice Council armor sitting right next to my other N7 armor. I unlatched the buckles and opened the lid. "Hello beautiful." I smirked as I got into my shiny new armor. The door to my bathroom opened and Jane stepped out with a towel covering her body and she dried her hair off with another. "There are some snacks on the table. Be sure to eat, that's an order." I ordered as I made my way up towards the door.

"Since when are you the one to give orders?" she asked, smirking.

"Since, I came back from the dead and took what is rightfully mine." I winked. "Get dressed Shepard. We will be waiting for you on the bridge."

**Omega - Normandy Docking Bay - Commander Shepard - 2130 hours**

"I'm receiving quarantine warnings where Professor Mordin Solus runs a clinic." EDI reported through the comm channel. "Expect heavy resistance from the Blue Suns."

"Thank you EDI." Miranda and Charlie responded in unison. I observing the two since Miranda came up towards Charlie's cabin. There have been some...tension between the two, as evident in the way the Commander grunted and the Cerberus operative rolled her eyes as we made our way towards the quarantine area.

"So..." I began, turning to the young human engineer. "Care to explain why you're out here Amanda?"

"She's been extremely helpful as of late." Charlie defended the young operative. I crossed my arms, having my suspicions. The Commander sighed and looked at Lawson, Zaeed and Amanda. "You guys go ahead, we'll be there shortly."

Miranda nodded and the older mercenary, Zaeed, and the two operatives walked on ahead.

"Shepard what's your problem?" he asked, raising his voice at me.

I crossed my arms as I leaned on the wall on my right. "I just find it odd that after all we've been through you trust them. They're Cerberus. I remember you hating them after we went on our little hunt, taking down Cerberus cells. What worries me most as that Miranda is here. With you! And you two are acting as if nothing happened. I don't like this."

"Shepard," he pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't have a fucking choice! Do you think I like this? Working with them? I would rather shoot myself than work for them. But as Miranda said in my quarters, the Reapers will destroy everything if you and I don't stop them. That's why I'm here. Alive. So I can help you take em down." I looked into his eyes and saw the turmoil within him. "As for Amanda, she quit after I died and traveled to Earth to start her life over. She only returned because Lawson came forth, telling her that Miranda was rebuilding me. She's only here for me and nothing else." He sighed once more.

"What about Miranda?" I asked.

"As for her..." he began softly, sighing in frustration."I don't know about her. Everytime I look at her...It hurts Jane. It hurts to see her there, like you said, pretending that 'us' never existed. Sometimes I can't even look at her but we work so well together. Her biotics compliment mine and she is an expert tactician and excellent on the field. I just..." Charlie crashed into the wall and sunk down and held his knees to his chest. I followed after him. "After all that happened, I think I still have feelings for her."

"Wh-what?" My mouth dropped shock. "You're joking right?"

"It's stupid I know but I all I have to do is look into those blue eyes of hers and suddenly," He averted his gaze towards the window in front of us, staring into the horizon. "suddenly I just feel very warm and I just get lost in them."

"But. But Ashley!" I shook my head.

"I know!" Charlie banged his head on the wall repeatedly.

"Stop that!" I ordered and he did, resting the back of his head on the wall. "Does she know about her?"

"She spent two years rebuilding me. She knows."

"...what are you going to do?"

He froze for awhile and I simply stared at him. He looked like he was elsewhere. Far away from all of this.

"I don't know. I just want Ashley here but I have no idea where she is."

"Commander do you read me?" Miranda's voice intruded our conversation.

"What." Charlie and I replied in unison. I smiled at the fact.

"Are you two coming? It's getting late." Miranda replied.

"We're coming." Charlie replied as he stood up, followed by me. He turned to me and smiled. "Come on. If its one thing I learned is that she throws a fit when she gets mad."

"I heard that _Commander_." Charlie froze and blushed and I held back a laugh as I continued walking.

"Oops." Charlie nervously laughed.

"We'll talk about this when the mission is over." Miranda responded with rage in her voice.

**Omega - Slums - Commander Alonso - 2200 hours**

_This place gets nicer and nicer. _I looked at Shepard with an eyebrow raised.

"What?" Jane shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know how you ended up here and _liked it._"

"You don't like it?" Jane frowned. "I thought we could buy a place here." She finished with a grin.

"Yes, your banter is amusing but we should move on." Miranda butted in coldly, pushing me to the side as she walked ahead with Zaeed and Amanda.

"Well she sure is a keeper." Shepard whispered.

The two of us rejoined the group, passing through dead bodies of Turians, batarians and a few salarians. _This place is a graveyard._

I noticed Blue Suns up ahead and I signaled the squad to take cover. I looked at Zaeed and said, "Open things off with a Concussive Shot. I'll follow them with a singularity. Miranda will wait until my bubble sucks them up and with Shepard, Amanda, take them out with everything you got." The four of the nodded to my orders and waited for Zaeed to spring out of cover. A sparkling orange projectile left the mercenary and flew towards a Blue Sun leaning by a fountain. Immediately, I jumped over the cover, flaring my biotics and dropping a singularity near a large group of enemies. Six of them looked around in fear as they began to lift from the ground. I grinned and shot an enemies head clean off with my Carnifex pistol. A large biotic explosion ensued afterwards as Miranda moved out of cover and ran to the next cover, flanking the enemy as I went down the middle. Jane and Amanda stayed in cover as they fired their weapons.

"Zaeed!" I pointed at a pyro."Shoot the tank!" Zaeed switched to his Mantis rifle and quickly shot at the pyro's tank. Gas began pouring out and the merc began whaling around trying to take of the tank from his back. I turned on the incendiary mod on my pistol and shot at the gas tank. It exploded, starting a fire that engulfed the mercinary.

"My face! My face! Nooo!" The man screamed in pain. Miranda took it upon herself and shot a bullet towards the man's skull, killing him instantly. Miranda grinned but didn't notice that another merc was lining up the shot. _No!_ I quickly flared my biotics and lifted him in the air. Miranda turned around and warped him. The man stumbled and I charged at him, causing another explosion that tore him to pieces.

"Everyone okay?" I asked but looked at Miranda who nodded with a faint smile. I smiled back at her. "Good. Let's get moving before reinforcements arrive."

"With you." Miranda said lowly as the five of us continued with guns drawn. We ran across a sick batarian, sitting on the ground.

"_Human_," he coughed. "Should have known guessed. Bad enough to infect us with this plague. Now you have the decency to wait until I die before you come and steal my possessions!" The man began to cough up blood. I smirked as I stood and watched as the man was dying. Shepard stomped on my foot hard before she kneeled down and gave the man some medi-gel. _Always the paragon._ I rolled my eyes and walked away from the conversation.

"I apologize for the Commander." I heard Jane say to the man as I jumped up on a ledge and sat as I observed the batarians and Shepard's wordless conversation as Zaeed and Sturrige stood beside her. Jane's mouthed moved and nodded, even smiled at the man.

"They don't deserve sympathy." Miranda muffled as she leaned on the wall near me.

I shook my head and faced her with a glare. "Still trying to convince me to join Cerberus? I may hate _them_ but I'm **not** a xenophobe like your beloved organization." I averted my gaze, facing towards Shepard as she continued to talk with the alien. "I have my reasons to hate them."

"I am aware of those reasons. I rebuilt you remember? And I agree with those reasons. The attackers on Elysium and the slavers on Torfan needed to be wiped out. They are monsters."

"So many people died that day." I said in a low tone as I revisited pictures in my head. I looked at Amanda who stood with Jane, making sure the sick batarian didn't do anything he would regret. "Sturridge lost her brother during the fight."

"Not everyone can be saved, Commander." Her voice sounded so cold that my heart began to twist in agony. This wasn't the Miranda I knew. _My _Miranda... I felt sick

"How could you say that?" I asked, jumping off the ledge and facing her with anger.

"This won't be easy." Miranda shrugged me off, maintaining her posture. "As I've said many times, you and I both know what's at stake. There will be casualties." Miranda crossed one leg over the other. "We have to stop them. We _must_ stop them. If we can't, there won't be anyone left to defend the innocent." _There_! I said to myself. I sign of life in her cold shell as she mentioned defending those that can't fight. My anger had dissipated as I slouched back on the wall.

"I guess you have a point."

"We'll get things done Charlie." I looked at her once she said that and our eyes locked once more. For once I wanted to believe what she was telling me. That she will help me defeat evil, to have my back when shit hits the fan. That I can turn to her for help and vice versa. I nodded as I looked back at Jane.

Amanda and Shepard walked towards the two of us with smiles on their faces. "See? Being nice gets the info you need." Apparently, there's this plague that kills anything but human and vorcha. I would say that it would be the vorcha but I remember researching about them during basic training. They aren't the smartest creatures in the galaxy. "The professor's clinic is just three blocks away."

"With Blood Pack and Blue Suns between us and the clinic." Strurridge winked.

"Oh yeah." Shepard acted dumb. "Forgot to tell you that." Jane turned around and grabbed her Vindicator rifle. "Oh well! No big deal; should be fun. I'm sure Zaeed doesn't mind that."

"Like you said Shepard," Zaeed grabbed his sniper rifle and the two soldiers and the engineer walked off. "Sounds like fun."

Miranda and I sighed in unison.

"I guess we are the mom and dad of the group?" I asked my XO, smiling at the thought.

"It appears so." Miranda played along. "We have a bunch of kids for a squad." We exchanged smiles and ran after them.

**Omega - Slums - Commander Shepard - 2230 hours**

"Pick up that pace you two." I ducked behind cover over at Charlie and Miranda who huffed and puffed beside Zaeed, Amanda and I. We had just cleared the second block of enemies. The two gangs look like they have been fighting for awhile. The bloodpack was victorious as we stepped over bodies of Blue Suns mercenaries. _Shame, I wanted to kill them myself._

"Oh yeah?" Charlie huffed as he tried to catch his breath. "Well, try to be a biotic and see you power your way through this."

Miranda shushed us as she looked around the corner. "Enemies up ahead."

"Amanda and I got this." Charlie gently pushed Miranda to the side as he crouched his way towards the other side of the street. Amanda hugged the wall until she reached a barricade. I watched intently at the two. Neither said a word as they observed the area. Six mercenaries: Two with their backs turned to us, standing near the barricade and smoking a cigarette -Miranda seemed to huff at them- and the rest in a small group chatting and drinking. I rolled my eyes at their ignorance.

Charlie and Sturridge looked at one another and nodded. The two reached for something in their boots. My eyebrows arched as a five inch knives appeared. Charlie counted down from three and the two stood instantly; each grabbing their respective targets and covered their mouths, raising the other arm and slitting the target's throat. Amanda jumped over her cover and threw the bloodied knife at one of the guards that stood with the others. The knife perfectly landed on the man's throat; he fell, gushing blood as he wiggled until he stopped moving. Amanda threw another knife at the man on the far right, landing on the man's eye; killing him instantly.

Charlie's kills on the other hand, were extremely quick. He biotically charged at the remaining mercenaries. He reappeared right in front of them. _They never saw it coming._ I said to myself as Charlie plunged two knives under their chins and through the mouth, followed by a biotic punch that sailed them upwards and over a roof of the clinic in front of Charlie.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed as Miranda, Zaeed and I approached the duo.

"Show off." Miranda rolled her eyes as she walked inside Mordin's clinic.

"Shame... I liked those knives." Charlie frowned but quickly smirked as he saw my facial expression. "Kill of the century?"

"Hey that was impressive but nowhere near the best I've seen." I crossed my arms, smirking. "Come on. Let's meet the professor."

"Hmmm. Don't recognize you from area," A salarian went into a hyper mode as he began finishing scanning Miranda. He wore white armor with red striping down the center. His right horn was shorter than the other. "Too well armed for refugees. No mercenary uniform. Quarantine still in effect. Hmph. Here for something else. Vorcha? Crew to clean the out? Unlikely. Vorcha a symptom not a cause. The plague! Investigating possible use as a bioweapon." The Salarian shook his head violently. "No. No, no. Too many guns. Not enough data-"

"Whoa. Relax doc. I'm Commander Alonso and this is Commander Shepard."

"I'm right here you know!" Miranda glared at Charlie.

"Oh yeah that's Miranda." Charlie pointed his thumb uninterested towards the XO's direction. "Anyways as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, we came here to find you. We are on a critical mission and we need your help."

"Mission? What mission? No no no. Too busy. Plague spreading too fast. Who sent you?" Mordin spewed off again as he ducked down to check down a fuse nearby.

"It's a covert and a privately funded human group." Charlie responded.

"Related to plague? Doesn't affect humans." _Oh brother here we go again!_ "Human-centric interest. Few human groups would know me. Equipment suggest military origin. Not alliance standard...Spectres! Not human. Terra Firma too unstable. Only one option."

"Cerberus." Mordin and I said in unison.

Mordin inhaled as he grabbed his chin with his fingers. "Unexpected. Crossed passed them once. They only work with humans. Why want me?"

"We are on a mission to take down the Collectors." Miranda responded.

"Collectors? Interesting! Plague hitting the slums in enginnered. Collectors are the few groups with technology to design it! Goals might be similar. First, must stop plague first. Already developed a cure. Need it distributed at environmental control center. More blood pack. Could be... problematic."

"We'll go take care of them if you want while you take care of the patients here." I offered and Mordin nodded and grabbed to large cylinders on a table. The clinic's lights began to flash red and the vents powered down.

"That sounded troubling." Miranda piped in.

"Blood pack have shut down ventilation systems. Need to get power back on before patients sufficate. Here. Take plague cure. Also, bonus in good faith: Weapons from dead Blue Suns mercs. May come in handy."

"We'll get it done." Charlie smiled and looked at us. "Alright let's get a move on."

**Minutes later...**

"Second vent back online." Amanda reported in as the rest of us fought off another wave of Blood Pack. "Implementing the cure!"

"Down you go!" Miranda smirked as she shot another pyro's tank.

"These bastards put up quite a fight!" Zaeed impaled a dagger in a vorcha's stomach before shooting him in the mouth.

"And with that it looks like we are clear." I smiled as we headed towards Amanda's location.

"Someone take out the fucking Krogan!" Charlie ordered as he ran away from the charging Krogan. I sighed as I remembered a similar incident happen to Charlie on Virmire with a Geth Destroyer. I rolled my eyes and with a help with Miranda and Zaeed, we put the Krogan down. Charlie fell in exhaustion from running all over the place. I sat next to him with my legs crossed.

"I hate this." He said as he pulled out a protein bar.

"I hate saving your ass." I smiled and Charlie rolled his eyes. "You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah..." He sat up and looked over the door where Miranda walked into. "No... I," Charlie pinched his nose. "Let's just get back to Mordin and get the hell out of here."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing/Comm Room - Commander Alonso - 2330 hours**

"Mordin," I smiled as he walked into the room. Shepard, Sturridge and I stood with our arms behind our back as Mordin smiled. "Welcome to the Normandy."

"Yes, very exciting. Cerberus working with aliens." The salarian inhaled deeply and continued. "Unexpected. Illusive man...branching out maybe? Not so human-centric."

"Doubt it. When it comes down to it, humans come first to TIM but this issue with the Collectors has them running scared. They need all the help they can get." I crossed my arms as I looked at Amanda to take the reins.

Amanda nodded and began pacing. "The Collectors are abducting colonies out in the Terminus Systems. The colonists are disappearing without a trace. No distress signals, no signs of fighting. No evidence that anything unusual happened at all; just that men, women, and children are all gone. We went to Freedom's Progress and found some samples and discovered that they use swarms to freeze colonists and leave the Collectors to do the rest."

"We need you to analyze the samples and see what you can find. We need to find a way to counteract the seeker swarms." I added.

Mordin smiled and nodded, "Yes of course. Would need a lab."

"There is a fully equipped lab on the combat deck Professor Solus." EDI butted in. "If you find anything lacking, please place a requisition order to Operative Lawson."

"Who's that? Pilot? No, synthesized voice. Simulated emotional inflections. Could it be? Nooo. Maybe. Have to ask. Is that an AI?"

I smiled at Mordin's thinking-out-loud rambling. "Yes. The Normandy is equipped with an AI." I looked at Sturridge. "Now, I'll let you get to work. Amanda, please escort him to his lab."

"Of course Commander." Amanda smiled and l waved the scientist over. "Follow me Mister Solus."

"That went well." Shepard yawned. "I'm going to get something to eat and head to bed."

I nodded as the two of us walked towards the elevator. "I'll join you." As we made our way towards the kitchen, I reached out for an apple but was interrupted by EDI.

"Commander Alonso?"

_What now?_ "What is it?"

"Operative Lawson wishes to speak with you... She didn't sound particularly pleased."

"Someone is in trouble." Shepard winked as she ate a bowl of grapes. "Have fun. Don't stay up to late." She made her exit towards the elevator.

_Shit. I sense another fight I can't win._ I cautiously made my way towards Miranda's office and I sighed inwardly in relief as I saw her reading something on a datapad. She looked up at me but looked back down at her datapad. _Well she hasn't attacked me yet._

"You...wanted to see me?" I asked and Miranda looked up with a glare and slammed the data pad on her table. _Oh here we go._

"Yes I do." She stood and walked around her desk and locked to door behind me. "I throw a fit?" Miranda flared her biotics and crushed me towards the wall.

"Stand down, _Lawson._" I seethed through the pain.

"What are you going to do? Look at me with those hazel eyes until I give into you? Hmph! I'm not some Alliance whore you sleep with."

Anger took me and I switched our positions. "You better watch your mouth. I won't hear you disrespect Ashley."

"Let. Go." Miranda glared at me as she tried to push herself off but to no avail as I pushed her back.

"Make me." I smirked as I inched closer until I felt her breath on my skin, making the back of my neck tingle. I looked down at her lips for a brief moment and back up at her eyes as she did the same. My lips turned into a lopsided grin as I looked back down at those soft lips of hers.

_What the fuck am I doing?_ I yelled at myself but I ignored my conscious. I watched Miranda close her eyes and inch closer and I began to do the same, inching closer to the woman that was once mine.

"Commander."_ My god for once I am thankful that Joker cockblocked me._ I let go of Miranda and back away until I bumped into Miranda's desk.

"What is it Joker?" I asked nervously.

"Just wanted to know where to head next."

"Right...Uhh let's head to the Citadel I guess. I need to talk to the council and let them know that one of their Spectres is alive."

"You got it Charlie. We'll be there late morning tomorrow."

Once Joker disconnected the call, I looked over at Miranda who still looked at me with disbelief and shock. I looked away and hacked open the door towards the crew deck and went inside the elevator. I banged my head on the wall repeatedly. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! What the fuck am I thinking! What was __**she**__ thinking? We aren't together. It was a mistake. It won't happened again. Ashley is mine._

I walked into my quarters only, to find Shepard sprawling all over my bed. I sighed and grabbed an extra pillow and blanket from my drawer and laid on the sofa. The images of the horror of what could have happened burned into my brain. How I almost kissed Miranda, my first and only heartbreak. A tear escaped my eye as I realized how long it's been since I've seen Ashley. I held the pillow close to me and closed my eyes, hoping that once I opened them again, Ashley would be there, kissing and holding me.

_Where are you Ash? Come back to me._

**Meanwhile...**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - XO's Office - Operative Lawson**

_What the hell was that?_ I stood there, still shocked of what almost happened. How I let my guard down and let Charlie make his advance towards me. I watched him as he closed his eyes, inching his lips towards me, only to be interrupted by Joker. I was thankful for the interruption. I wasn't sure how this would've unfolded. I lifted my hand and touched my lips with my finger, still confused with what just happened.

_Did he actually kiss me? _I shook my head. _No, he didn't. Damn it! Why did Joker interrupt us? _I walked over to my drawer in defeat and changed into my sleeping attire. I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over me. I sighed as I held one of my various pillows close to me; watching the door to my office, hoping that the Commander would walk back into my quarters and change his mind about recently promoted Lieutenant Williams and return to me...to join me in my bed.

_I wish things were back to normal._

I looked away from the pillow as the door never opened. My heart sank and I cried silently to sleep.

* * *

**:'( I'm dying inside...**

**That was very difficult to write. I love Miranda and Yvonne so much that I hate doing this to her. Things will change but those two need to accept each other and take things slow...and stop fighting like a married couple.**

**As the Charlie said, we will be going to the center of galactic civilization. Meeting Anderson, Udina and the council. After that, perhaps some down time... I think I've said a little too much :p**

***No Kasumi mission for now before someone asks. I want to put it on hold but it will take place once Charlie receives the second batch of Dossiers. I'll be changing that particular mission to suit my story (Not that I didn't like it or anything...I just want to change some things here and there.) Other than that I can't say anything else. You'll just have to continue reading and find out ;)**

**I want to thank those that have reviewed and subbed and or fav to me or this story. Thank you guys so much! I want more reviews! :D**

**Leave a review and subscribe/fav me and the story. Maybe spread the word over at the bioware Fanfiction page? perhaps? or twitter? or facebook?**

**"Just hurry up and continue writing."**

**"Sorry Miri." _A bit bossy _:-/**

**"I _heard _that! and don't call me that. Only Nicket and Charlie can call me that."**

**_Oh... _:(  
**

**Umm alright...**

**Until next time!**


	4. The Citadel

**Hello everyone!**

**Sorry for the long wait between chapters but here we are again!**

**Starting off with some teasing and toying ;)**

**Let's get down to it**

* * *

**The Citadel**

**November 3, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 0330 hours**

I gasp for breath as I wake up with eyes wide open. I hold my hands around my neck as I breathe for air. _Another nightmare_. I say to myself over and over. This time I remember what I was dreaming about. It was the destruction of the first Normandy. Being out in space, watching the ship I have called home explode before my eyes. Then feeling cold as the oxygen is being sucked out of my helmet. My body begins to shiver at the though and I lay back down on my sofa as I try to warm myself up with the blanket but to no avail. After a few more attempts I exasperate a sigh and swing my legs over so my feet touch the cold floor. I look over at Jane who is sound asleep in my bed. I'm grateful that Shepard is such a deep sleeper. I don't want her to know about my nightmares as I would add my problem to the large pile of stuff on her plate.

_Liara..._ I can sense something happen to them when I died. The fact that Liara wasn't on Omega further proved my suspicions. Shepard wouldn't tell me what happened no matter hard I try but I can see it in her eyes. The look of sadness and guilt. I decided to leave her to rest and grab a cup of coffee. _There's no way I'm going back to sleep._

The mess hall was empty and dark, except for the service lights on the floor and ceiling. I walk over to the kitchen and grabbed a packet of instant coffee and placed in the coffee machine. Once the hot liquid was in my cup I made my way through one tables at sat in a seat overlooking the XO's office. I sipped on the liquid, finding it refreshing. The moment with Miranda last night crawled back into my head. _How could I almost kiss her?_ I still can't explain it.

_She was just...there. Standing. Waiting for me to get close enough._ I sighed and shook my head. I need to stop thinking about her. A swishing sound whispered throughout the mess hall and Miranda walked out in her black and white catsuit. I looked down at my cup immediately as she walked over towards the kitchen. The soft clacks of her boots echoed as she walked on the steel floor. I looked up briefly and saw her pouring herself a cup of coffee. Without even acknowledging I was there, I watched her blowing on her cup as she walked back into her office.

_What the...?_ I glared my eyes as the doors closed behind her. I shook my head and continued to drink my coffee. _No. She wants me to follow her into her room. I won't follow._ The door swished opened once more a few moments later and Miranda walked out and headed into the kitchen once more. This time, she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bowl of fruit and walked back into her office. Not before popping a strawberry into her mouth.

I growled at her. _Now she's doing it on purpose!_ _I know I saw a grin right before the door closed._

"Now that's just cruel." I jumped from my seat and saw Garrus standing with his arms crossed standing behind me, smirking at me.

I slowed my heart rate and banged my head on the table. I slowly raised it and looked up at Garrus. "Tell me about it." Wanting to drop the 'Miranda' subject, I asked. "How's the ship treating you?"

Garrus smiled and sat on the seat opposite of mine. "I hate to say it but Cerberus knows how to build a ship. It is quite an amazing ship." The turian's mandibles seemed to frown despite the praise. "I am disappointed in the Javelin Torpedoes thought. They don't pack nearly enough firepower compared to the original Normandy."

My eyebrows shot upward. "Oh? Got any suggestions?" I ask.

"There's this new type of weaponry that the turians developed when you... uhh were dead. The Turian's Office of Technological Reconnaissance spent three months salvaging Sovereign's main weapon. They developed what they call a 'Thanix Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannon' or Thanix Cannon. The gun can rival any cruiser but it's small enough to be mounted into a cruiser or frigate. I'm sure they can take down the collectors and the reapers with enough shots."

_Hmmm. _"EDI? You think we can make that happen?" I look up at the ceiling.

"Calculating." There was a one second pause. "Yes. The Thanix cannon will be an excellent upgrade to the ship."

"Great." I smile. "I'll let Lawson know. I'm sure she's dying to talk to me." I say sarcastically. Garrus chuckles and nods.

"I'm going to get some shut eye. See you later Commander." Garrus nods once more and leaves and I make my way to speak with the illustrious XO.

As I walk in, I notice an almost naked Miranda on her bed. She donned black laced bra and panties which was lazily covered by a white, silky robe. She is...or was reading something on a datapad while sucking on a strawberry. Her eyes lifted upwards from the datapad from the sound of her door opening. My cheeks were already burning and Miranda at least had the decency to cover up.

"Commander!" She shot up from the bed and tightened the sash around her waist. "Don't you ever bloody knock?" she exclaimed.

I simply stood with my mouth opened, still shocked from the initial image I saw as I walked in. The way she sucked and bit on the large strawberry as she eyed the datapad. How her robe exposed her pale skin. _Her soft skin. Her large, soft breasts. _I shock my head._Ugh! _Why are you doing this to me? For a moment, I was convinced this was her plan: To bring my guard down and try seduce me. I shook my head clear and reluctantly averted my gaze. "Your door was open!" I exclaimed.

"And that made it alright to come to my room unannounced?" she argued.

"Oh you're going to do the 'show up at the room unannounced card'?" I asked, emphasizing with air quotes. "Let's play that card then. If I call correctly, you slept with me on _**my**_ bed yesterday!" I glared. At this point, I didn't realize I had walked passed Miranda's desk and was making my way towards the coffee table by the sofa. Miranda had already taken a seat on the large leather sofa in front of me and was watching me as I paced the floor. "Now you want to tell me that _I_ show up unannounced?"

I must be some sort of comedian because Miranda began to giggle, which developed into laughter. I stopped and glared at her. "What's so funny?" I ask, crossing my arms across my chest.

"It's just the look on your face was priceless." She said between chuckles. _I fucking knew it. It was planned all along._ Instead of walking out in frustration like a normal person would, I flop down on the bed in defeat. _Why me?_ "Is there something you need?" Miranda's tone turned normal.

_Oh...right._ "I umm... Garrus told me about the Normandy's current main guns. It's not as powerful as the original. I was wondering if you call do us a favor and see if we can get it upgraded to one of those Thanix cannons?"

"I think I can make that happen." Miranda replied with a curt nod. "I have a few contacts on the Citadel so we can install the guns once we arrive."

_Contacts on the Citadel?_ For some reason, that sentence irked me in the wrong way. "By contacts you mean..."

"Politicians and a few C-Sec agents." Miranda replied coldly. "I have saved their lives one or too many times. Cerberus is everywhere."

"Is that..." _I don't think I want to know._ But I wanted to ask anyway. "Is that how you got to me? Your contacts?"

"Honestly?" she asked.

Our eyes locked and I nodded. "Honestly."

"When we first met at the bar, I honestly didn't know who you were. Only that you were a pest trying to get my attention."

I chuckled as I remembered that night. Shepard and I were sworn as Spectres and Jane threw a celebratory party at Flux. I had way too many drinks that night and I saw Miranda drinking alone at the bar and thought I should approach her. I failed to get her number but I got something else in return: A large cut on my forehead after being thrown into the wall from Miranda's biotics. "Well I got it one way or another..."

"Indeed." I looked back up at her and exchanged nervous laughs. Then, silence and a very awkward one at that.

"What were you doing there anyways? That night I mean." I asked.

"Well..." Miranda began scratching her shoulder. _Did she get that from me? God I hope not._ "I had just arrived at the station after just completing a mission. I guess you could say that I was on leave."

I remain silent as I watch her. I can tell she isn't lying...or that is a very good liar. After another moment of silence, I ask. "Any word on Doctor Chakwas' recruitment? We are in need of a medic and I can't have you being the XO _and_ the ship's medic."

Miranda shifted in her seat and crossed one leg over the other. "She's working at Huerta Memorial. I've gotten a response from her saying that she will be waiting for your arrival."

I smile. "Great. It will be nice to see her again. She's one of the best." Miranda purses her lips after another long, awkward silence. "Well..." I sigh and slap my knees before standing from the edge of Miranda's bed. "I should probably go. Get some rest Lawson."

"You should too." She replies with a hint of concern.

I wave my hand dismissively. "I'm good. Can't sleep after my nightmares anyways. Goodnight."

"Wait." I pause and turn my head to face Miranda. "Do you want to talk about them? This is the second consecutive night in which you had nightmares."

"I'm okay. No need to worry about me." I say with a genuine smile and make my exit.

_Well that went better than I expected._ I look around and it's still early. _You know? I haven't even walked around the ship!_

I walk into the starboard observation deck and look around. There is a small library on the left side of the room along with a few chairs and a sofa. There's a large window that looks out into the dark void of space. Seems like a perfect spot to meditate. _Speaking of which, I need to do that soon._ I smiled in satisfaction and make my way towards the Life Support room. Quite narrow but at least there's a nice view of the Normandy's drive core on the deck below. After that, I make my way towards the Port Observation Deck, which is filled with a poker table on the left side of the room, a small entertainment center and a bar on the left. I grin as the large assortment of alcohol sitting on the glass shelves. _Looks like I'll be here often as well._

After leaving and heading down the long hallways of empty quarters -_I should probably kick Shepard out and move her down here- _I made my way towards the new and improved gym. The place was almost twice as big as the original Normandy. I'm surprised Cerberus managed to fit all this stuff in here. There's even a boxing ring at the far end of the room.

"I thought I'd find you here." Jane stood by a barbell station, dressed in a Cerberus shirt and cargo pants.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to take a tour of the ship. Haven't gotten around to it yet."

"Oh." She said with a sigh. "Miranda told me to keep an eye on you."

I chuckled in response. "I bet she did. Did she tell you about the...incident the night before?" Shepard tilted her head and shook her head. "I woke up to find Miranda on my bed."

Shepard's face turned pale and mouth opened with shock. "Wh-what?" I could only nod. "I don't even...Why?"

"Well apparently, I was breathing heavily and my heart rate spiked during the middle of the night. She came up to my quarters and gave me a scan, or so I assume. Found nothing. Eventually, she thought it would be a good idea to sleep with me on my bed and calm me down." I shrug my shoulders. "I didn't even feel her. By the time I woke up, her arm lay across my bare chest and her head rested on my shoulders."

"Well you were always a deep sleeper. I remember grabbing a bucket of ice water every morning during SpecOps training just because I couldn't shake you awake." The both of us laughed.

"I've got good news. Chakwas will be joining us soon." I announce.

"I'm glad. She was on leave from the Alliance and has been volunteering out in Huerta Memorial. I checked in once in awhile...I mean not because I got injured or anything!" Jane blushed.

"Uh-huh." I smirk and crossed my arms. "Come on, let's get something to eat."

**Citadel - C-Sec Security - Commander Shepard - 1100 hours**

"Hello," a turian C-Sec Officer nodded as Charlie, Garrus and I walked towards him. "Please stand by while we run the scanner."

"Uhh this is new." Charlie spoke as blue rays of light scanned up and down Garrus' and my body while Charlie flashed a red color.

"Hmmm." The C-Sec officer placed his hands to his chin. "It appears that Commander Alonso's record seems to say that you are dead."

Charlie smiled shyly as he scratched his shoulder. "I've been getting that a lot."

"Speak to Captain Bailey. His office is just outside the door."

"Captain Bailey?" Charlie's brow arched upward.

"You know him?" I asked as we walked past the turian standing guard, giving him a nod, and walked down a long hallway.

"I worked with him along with another spectre as we hunted for Saren. Councilor Tevos..." Charlie stopped talking, "Sorry, can't say anymore." We stepped out into Zakera Ward. I haven't come back here since I traveled to Omega. A lot has changed the last two years. I looks as if the reaper attack didn't happen.

"Bailey." Charlie led us to a man sitting on his desk, working on something on his terminal. The tall, fit blonde man stood from his chair and shook Charlie's hand.

"Well I'll be damned. Commander, I though you were dead."

Charlie smirked as stood at attention. "I get that a lot. Been deep undercover for the council. Can't talk too much about it. "He lied, "It's good to see you again. How are things in C-Sec nowadays."

"It's not the same as it once was but we are hanging in there. A lot of good people died two years ago during Saren's attack." The C-Sec captain returned to seat in his chair and propped his elbows in his desk and began twiddling his thumbs. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Well I was hoping if you can fix my little problem with the scanners."

"Sure thing," Bailey began to type on his terminal. "Done. It's the least I can do for saving Officer Law. Anything else?"

Charlie shook his head and replied, "Nope. I'm off to the presidium. Thank you again."

"Anytime."

**Citadel - Presidium - Commander Shepard - 1130 hours**

"Hello Commander Shepard, how can I help you?" A young redhead sat behind a desk in front of Councilor Anderson's office.

"I'd like to speak with Anderson."

"Of course, hold on one moment." The receptionist held a finger to her earpiece and called the Councilor. "Councilor, Commander Shepard wants to speak with you." There was a pause before the receptionist looked up at me with a smile. "He will see you now." She got up and walked passed Charlie and I.

I looked at Charlie, who was admiring the young woman's backside as she walked towards the door. I snuck in a jab in the stomach, "Pig."

"What?" Charlie asked in innocence and I immediately glared my eyes at him. "I can look can I?"

"-No." I replied instantly. "Remember who loves you." I pushed him towards the door as Garrus, the Commander and I walked into Anderson's office.

"Councilor." I saluted and Charlie soon followed suit.

"So it's true." He said simply as his eyes measured up and down at Charlie before turning his attention to his receptionist. "Thank you Rebecca that will be all."

"Of course, If you need anything," Rebecca began to make her exit, "_anything,_ let me know." She gave a playful wink at Charlie who returned it.

"I'm sure I can think of something." Charlie muttered as he watched the redhead leave. I sighed and rolled my eyes. _Some things never change._

Anderson cleared his throat, causing me and Charlie to jump. "Apologies." We said in unison.

"I've been seeing reports from Omega that you two have been spotted together." Anderson began to slowly pace with his arms behind his back. "I'm not sure I understand how you are here Commander."

Charlie began to explain his resurrection as Anderson nodded in understanding, soaking everything in. It wasn't hard for him to understand. He has been supporting the both of us since we got picked by Anderson to join him on the original Normandy.

"I'm glad you have stepped up and come forth to me with this. I don't like this allegiance with Cerberus Commander. I do hope you know what you're doing."

Charlie sighed as leaned his elbow on the railing behind Anderson's desk. "I understand sir. If it's one thing you know, it's that I hate Cerberus. I wouldn't do this if it was for the wrong reason. For now, I need them on my side. I don't like it, but it has to be done. Once this mission is finished, I am done with them."

"What do you have so far?" Anderson asked.

"We went to Freedom's Progress, one of the colonies that have been attacked. The place was deserted; no signs of life or struggle. We ran into a group of Quarians led by Tali who were looking for one of their own, Veetor, who was on his pilgrimage. We found him along with camera footage telling us that the Reapers have hired The Collectors as their new pets. They are the ones who have been attacking the colonies. They use seeker swarms to disable their prey and the Collectors...well they collect. We've began assembling a team to take the Collectors out and bring an end to this. I found Garrus and Shepard along with an old merc Zaeed Massani and a Salarian scientist named Mordin Solus."

"I see. You certainly need people ready to fight this evil."

"I wanted...I wanted to ask you something." Charlie began as he somberly looked down at the Presidium lake below.

"Shoot." Anderson replied, mimicking Charlie's gesture.

"Where's Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams? I...I would like her on my team."

"I'm sorry but she is out on assignment for the Alliance. I can't tell you anything about it I am sorry."

In defeat, he said, "I guess it was too much to hope for. I...We'll be fine." He lied. I gently grabbed his hand and patted it. I could see it in his eyes that he was hurt. He was missing Ashley with every fiber of his being. I of all people know what it's like to wish to have someone you love with you. Charlie placed his other hand over mine and looked at me. He knew I was thinking of Liara just now.

"We should probably get going." I said softly.

"Actually..." Councilor Anderson stepped in as he read something in his omni-tool, "The Council wants to speak with the both of you over at the Citadel Tower."

"Well let's get going!" I say with a smile and the four of us leave for the tower.

**Meanwhile...**

**SSV Normandy - XO's Quarters - Operative Lawson**

The door swooshed opened and I assumed it was the Commander coming in to pester me once more. "Miss Lawson?" I stopped typing to one of my contacts that are looking out for my sister and looked up at Miss Chambers standing behind the set of chairs in front of my desk.

"Yes, Chambers what can I do for you?" I asked as I returned to my typing.

"I have the reports you asked." The redhead placed a large stack of datapads on my desk and stepped back. The datapads hold psyche evaluations on every member of the crew, beside me of course. I have no time or the patience to be near the extremely cheerful woman.

"Thank you." I said dismissively, as I refused to acknowledge her. Kelly began to speak but I was quick to interrupt. "If there is anything I need from you, I'll let you know. Otherwise, I have work to do."

"I... I wanted to express my evaluation of the Commander Alonso. He seems to be...unsettled. I almost feel sad for him."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't. I am sure you are aware of his view towards us." I looked up at her and began to glare at her. "As for being sad for him, don't. He is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. If I see you trying anything, I'll throw you off this ship. Is that understood?"

With a frown, Kelly nodded. "Understood."

**Citadel - Citadel Tower - Commander Alonso - 1200 hours**

"Commander Alonso." The turian councilor, Sparatus, began. "I am not sure if I should be pleased to see you alive. Quite frankly, I am a little disturbed by the recent news that you are working for Cerberus. If it were me, I would lock you away for life."

_Glad to see you too Councilor Grumpy._

"But that is not why the Commander is here." Tevos interjected. "He is here to help us understand."

"I appreciate the time out of your busy schedules to hear me out." I began. "As you are aware, the SSV Normandy was destroyed two years ago. The _terrorist_ cell, Cerberus, spent tremendous amount of time and money to bring me back to life. Why, you ask? Apparently, the Collectors were the ones who attacked us and are the ones abducting human colonies." I turned on my omni tool and projected the images we received from veetor. "The collectors use seeker swarms to freeze their targets which is why a lot of the colonies are ghost towns. The collectors then swoop in and take the bodies and place them in hive-like pods and return to their ship and back to the Omega 4 relay."

"It appears that the Collectors use some sort of advanced technology that lets them safely travel to and from the relay." Shepard added as I paused so that the council can suck up all the information I just gave. We looked at one another and nodded at her double meaning.

"Which brings up another point: Where would the Collectors find such technology that allows them safe passage through the relay? The Reapers."

I heard a relenting sigh from Sparatus as Valern just shook his head. "The Reapers again? When will you both drop this?" The turian councilor's mandibles twitched to form a frown.

"I don't suppose you'll believe us." I said with a defeating sigh. _There's no way I can convince Councilor Grumpy._

"What we believe isn't a problem for you." Tevos began. "Due to the evidence you just presented, you have proven that the Collectors are a threat. But with your allegiance with a known enemy of ours, it presents a problem. If you can eliminate the Collector threat, we would be willing to reinstate your spectre status."

_Well it's better than I would have ever expected given my circumstance._ I smiled and curtly bowed. "I can accept that."

Tevos smiled in return. "Well then, if there isn't anything else, this meeting is adjourned."

**Citadel - Huerta Memorial Hospital - Commander Alonso - 1230 hours**

I am so excited. I get another familiar face aboard the Normandy.

"Chakwas has been working here?" Garrus asked as we stepped inside the main lobby.

"Lawson's report says she's been helping citizens instead of military patients." I replied.

"It certainly is a change." Jane added as she looked around for the doctor. "There she is." Jane pointed at the silver haired woman. I smiled and the three of us made our way towards us.

"Commander Alonso." The good doctor smiled and approached me with a motherly hug.

"It's good to see you safe." I smiled widely.

"It's good to see you alive." Chakwas smiled. She looked over my shoulder and smiled once more. "It looks like you have reunited with these two."

"Yeah, these two were causing enough trouble on Omega so I had to save their asses...again." I winked at the two, causing Chakwas to laugh.

"Well, I am ready to serve whenever you need me."

"We are heading back towards the new Normandy Doc. Welcome aboard."

**Thirty minutes later...**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso**

"Commander what are your orders?" Miranda asked as she leaned on the table.

"I just talked with Mordin and he's still working on the seeker swarm antidote. I received two additional dossiers for to recruit a Krogan Warlord Okeer and a biotic convict Jack. I've sent Joker the location of the Krogan and we'll head there straight away. I want everyone on the ground except for Mordin as he gets busy with the cure. We should be there in a few hours so get ready and do what you gotta do. I want everyone in the shuttle fifteen minutes before." I looked around the room and everyone nodded. "Good, dismissed." I watched everyone leave except Miranda, who simply looked at me with those steel blue eyes.

"Yes Miss Lawson?" I asked.

"I think we should head to the Hourglass Nebula and recruit Jack instead. She's a biotic and is extremely powerful."

"You opinion is noted and ignored princess." I said with a smirk. "I have already decided where we are going." I finished as I made my way towards the elevator; Miranda following close behind.

"Why do keep ignoring all of my suggestions?" She asked annoyed.

"Because I can?"

"You are unbelievable!" She shouted out in the CIC. I stepped into the elevator, turning around to see Miranda glaring her eyes at me.

I pressed the button towards my cabin and winked at the raven haired brunette. "I know. That is why you fell for me my love." I puckered my lips and blew at kiss at her. The final image before the door closed was her face turned to shock. _Haha, god I love torturing her._

"Where you just flirting with Lawson?" Shepard's voice caused me to jump and scream.

"Holy shit balls Shepard!" I gripped my chest. "Stop scaring me like that."

"You didn't answer my question." Jane glared at me.

"It's all in good fun." I said with a smirk as the door opened to the first level and the both of us stepped into my quarters.

"It doesn't look that way for Miranda." Jane sat on the sofa as I checked my mail on my terminal.

"Yeah well you can go see her and have girl talk or do pillow fights for all I care." I mouthed back.

"Charlie..." She said soft enough so I can hear.

"What?" I said in frustration. _Don't tell me you are siding with her. _Jane stood from the chair and walked up the steps and leaned on the fish tank to my left.

"Is it that hard to just talk with her?"

"What's there to talk about?" I asked. "Do you expect us to be best friends?"

Jane shook her head and crossed her arms. "No but I expect you to treat her with respect. She is part of your crew and I expect you to treat her just like everyone else. I know she hurt you but that is in the past. You can't outcast her and not talk to her."

_Damn it! Why is Shepard always right? _"I..."

"Just try okay? Promise that you'll try."

I closed my terminal, leaned my head back and pinched my nose. "Fine! I promise." Jane smiled and I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to take a shower and grab something to eat. I'll see you later." I began getting my stuff and then I thought about late last night. "Oh and Jane?"

"Hmm?"

"You need to move out."

"Wha-Why?" Jane tried to pout but it was a poor attempt.

"Well this is my quarters...the Captain's quarters." Jane glared her eyes at me. "There are plenty of quarters down in the crew deck. I need my bed Jane. I can't be sleeping on the damn couch every night."

"I...I guess you're right." Jane frowned. "Can I at least stay here for the rest of the day?"

"Of course." I smiled. "Just get out of my room by bedtime." I winked and took a shower.

* * *

**I want to thank those that have faved, followed and subscribed to this story and to me. I want to thank those that have liked my previous stories. You know who you are :)**

**So Grunt will be added in the next chapter as well as Charlie and Miri's first real conversation and the start of something new :D**

**More Bioware news! Omega DLC release date was announced! I am so excited to go back to Mass Effect 3.**

**Also Yvonne Strahovski on Dexter ep 3! Can't wait to see how her character develops on the show.**

**Hope you guys enjoy this story so far. Please continue writing reviews. Fav, Subcribe and follow me and my story for future chapter and story updates :)**

**Until next time!**


	5. The Krogan Warlord

**Hello everyone!**

**New chapter in for everyone!**

**Starting off with Charlie and Miri and moving on to recruit the Krogan!**

**Also there is a small return of a certain asari :)**

**See you on the other side**

* * *

The Krogan Warlord

**November 3, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Crew Deck - Commander Alonso - 1800 hours**

"You aren't escaping this Charlie!" Jane shoved me out of the elevator and began to guide me towards Miranda's office. I had put off talking to Miranda as long as I could. We have just arrived at the Imir System in the Eagle Nebula and were on route towards Korlus. I had just finished putting on my armor and heading down into the cargo bay when the elevator stopped at the CIC and Shepard came in. I glared my eyes at her when I saw her grinning at me and pushed the button to hit the crew deck.

I grunted as I got pushed into Miranda's office. I turned around to quickly make my exit but Shepard managed to somehow lock the door I was trying to open. _Damn it Jane!_ I sighed and turned around to see Lawson look at me with a curious and questioning brow.

"I..." I pulled my hair in frustration. "We need to talk."

"Oh?" Miranda looked intrigued as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest. I looked down at my feet and stepped forward toward and began to seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"I'm not sure where to begin with this." I began to fidget with my hands.

"What's this about?" Miranda asked curiously.

"Look," I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, "as Commanding Officer, I am responsible for my crew's well being and I am sure you know by looking at my files somewhere that I... tend to talk with the crew and get to know them."

"I see..." Miranda and I shared silence for a few moments together. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I know I should know this already given our past but I want to know more about you."

"Well I guess that's fair. Well... you already know firsthand that I am a very powerful biotic." Miranda added with a grin and I rolled my eyes. "I've had extensive modifications..." Miranda looked off into the distance and frowned, as if she was reliving a memory in her head. "Not my decision but I make the most of it.

_Well you are certainly cocky._ But something else caught my attention. "What do you mean genetically modified? And what kind of genetic modifications?"

"As I have said, it's very extensive. Physically, I am superior in many ways. I heal quickly and I'll live half as long as the average human. After that, I had the best education and training money can buy. It's one of the reasons The Illusive Man handpicked me and why he assigned me to rebuild you... and why I'm one of Cerberus' best operative. I'm very good at everything I choose to do."

My brows furrowed and my lips turned to a frown. "You make it sound like you were built in a lab somewhere."

"I...I was." She responded, sounding distant.

Wait what? "What?"

"My father... he created me. He's a very influential man and extremely controlling. He..." Miranda hid her face from me by standing up and pacing the floor. "He didn't want a daughter. He wanted a bloody dynasty. I ran away as soon as I could. Cerberus found me and promised to protect me. My father invested a great deal in his dynasty. It wasn't a matter of just leaving. I know he would continue to pursue his...investments."

_Investments? He created more? Fucking asshole! _I was burning inside. What kind of person would do such a thing to a human being? What kind of monster punishes their children by doing experiments on them? Miranda observed me and weakly smiled and walked over towards the large sofa in the back of her quarters and I quickly followed.

Wanting to change the horrible subject, I asked softly as I began to sit next to her. "I assume Cerberus appreciates your abilities?"

Miranda nodded and smiled vibrantly, "Of course. We endorse anything that advances humanity. Genetic modifications included. However, unlike my father, Cerberus believes in a greater good and sees the bigger picture. I feel like I have a purpose here."

"Don't say that Miri." Miranda blinked at me as I called her that. _Shit...I shouldn't have called her that._ "You're better than that. You aren't some tool to be used by some organization or by your father."

Miranda sunk her shoulders but regained her calm, cold composure. "Maybe but I like to know where I fit in this world-"

"You are who you are." I quickly interrupted, shaking my head. I won't have her think like that if I can help it. "You don't need some organization to come up with excuses like that."

Miranda chuckled and smiled her beautiful toothy smile. "That's easy for you to say. The both of us have been engineered for greatness Charlie. But you were great before I rebuilt you...I am great because of it."

"No." I cautiously reached for her hand and gave a light squeeze. "Your spirit and personality are what make you great. When..." _Oh god here I go._ "When we were together, you were everything a man could ever ask for. Independent, strong, could kick a guy's ass." Miranda and I shared laughter that echoed throughout the room. "Beautiful."

"Oh..." Miranda's cheeks began to turn a shade of pink. "Thank you. It...It means a lot to hear you say it." I pursed my lips and nodded as I patted on Miranda's hand.

"Commander?" Joker's voice filled the room.

"What's up Joker?" I asked, letting go of Miranda's hand.

"We've reached Korlus. Garrus, Shepard, Zaeed and Amanda are waiting in the shuttle."

"Copy that. Thanks." I turned to Miranda and smiled. "I appreciate you being open with me. I'm sure it can't be easy to talk about your past. If you need anything...don't hesitate to ask me for help. I'm here for you."

"Thank you." Miranda smiled. "I know things may not return to what they once were but I would like for us to start over. As friends."

I smiled as Miranda's proposition. I nodded and replied, "I'd like that. Now let's go before Shepard starts gossiping."

**Korlus - Drop Zone - Commander Shepard - 1830 hours**

"What a shithole." Charlie said as we dropped out of the Kodiak and cleared the drop zone. No hostiles, except a few dust particles that were invading my eyes. The place was deserted...or at least I think it was. You could probably hear a pin drop if it weren't for the gust. Barges and large, stripped down ships conveniently formed platforms to walk on. The place was a junk yard.

"It's better than Omega." Garrus and I said in unison. A voice could be heard in the distance but where we stand, it's impossible to understand it.

"Come on." Charlie ordered as he installed a warp mod on his shotgun and led us to the next corner. "Keep quiet. We don't want to get ambushed here. Watch for movement up high." Charlie suggested in a whisper. Garrus was already looking up near a catwalk for enemies with his Mantis sniper rifle.

There was a groan and coughing nearby. I held my vindicator rifle close to my chest as the group walked the narrow path.

"Well look what we have here." Charlie said up ahead. Once I rounded the corner, I coughing blue suns merc sat holding his stomach. Blood trickled down the man's abdomen by the second and his skin began to turn pale.

"What happened?" I asked, wanting to know what caused this.

"Jedore." He said simply, grunting in pain.

Charlie flared his biotics and created a singularity that lifted the wounded man. "You will tell me what I need to know or else I'll blow a hole into your fucking head." He narrowed his eyes as he patted his shotgun.

"Alright, alright! Put me down!" Charlie's blue circling flames dissipated and the injured male crashed into the ground with a large armor-to-metal thump.

"Talk." Charlie and Miranda spoke coldly that it made my skin crawl.

"Jedor, our commander here hired some crazy Krogan to create an army of Krogan for her. But the Krogan he creates are all insane!" He spoke between coughs of blood. He didn't have much time. "We use the Krogan as weapons training. It's stupid."

"Outpost four?" A male's voice came through the merc's walkie-talkie, "Jedore wants us to move. We need coordinates on that Krogan pack."

"You heard the man." Charlie pulled his shotgun under the man's chin. "Give him the directions." He finished off with a look that said 'do not fuck with me.'

"I-I don't know where they went!" The man replied, showing horror on his face.

"You have other problems." Miranda interjected, the coldness was still injected in her voice.

"Shit." The man mumbled before reaching up to his earpiece, "Patrol, ummm... Pack sighting east of station two?" he tried, receiving an evil grin from out CO. "...Yeah"

"Copy that. East of two."

"Fuck!" The man grimaced. "You happy now? They'll run in blin-"

A loud bang caused the dying man's head to explode. My jaw seemed to drop in shock. _What the fuck!_ Brain splattered all over Charlie's face and armor...and even reach mine. I looked down at myself disgustingly as I began to flick some bits and pieces. I frowned as some of the blood wouldn't come off. _God this is going to smell._

"WHAT THE FUCK!" I yelled, gaining a maniacal laugh from Charlie as he turned to face the group, wiping his face off. _Who are you?_

"Was that...necessary?" Miranda sighed as she too, was covered in muck. Sturridge nodded in agreement.

"At least his death was quick so no big deal. Waste of a thermal clip but I can't complain. Saved us the trouble from fighting more Blue Suns. Come on," he turned around and began to walk ahead. "Let's find this Krogan and get the fuck out of here."

"Hah, I like your style Alonso." Zaeed laughed as he soon followed him.

"He's not the same guy he once was...is he?" Garrus brushed passed me as he followed.

"He's been a renegade since Elysium, even killed an unarmed Saren but no... He isn't." I said to myself.

**Illium - Liara's Apartment - Liara T'Soni - 1900 hours**

_Goddess! There he is! _I smiled in relief as I saw footage of Charlie walking somewhere on the Citadel. My heart felt like jumping for joy as he was walking with Garrus and another human. I froze the footage and zoomed in closer to analyze the woman walking along some the two. I couldn't believe my eyes once I saw who it was.

_Shepard?_ She looks so different. She changed her beautiful locks of red hair to black; Even her hair length was a bit longer. She still looks beautiful though. _Goddess Shepard, I miss you so much._ The things I would do to find my way back into her protective arms. As I close my eyes, I can still picture her in my thoughts. The smell of her perfume invades my nostrils or the musky, sweaty smell from post missions. Her deep blue eyes that I always got lost in. Her face markings that she was never happy about. _Freckles, I think she called them._ The small scar just below her right breast from an injury when she was a child. She was always self-conscious about her body but I always told her she was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy; and I gained a shy smile from her. I never knew how I could have ever deserved such a person like Shepard.

I slowly sat in my chair as I propped my elbows on the desk in front of me, resting my chin on my fists as I looked at the new Shepard. Tears flowed down my face but they were tears of relief. She escaped Omega and was now happy to have her friend alive...because I helped Cerberus get him back. Til this day, I still doubt myself for even helping those monsters._ I should have just buried him like a regular person._ I sighed deeply as this wasn't helping me get Feron back. I must get him back because nobody else can. I must do this alone.

I just hope and pray that Shepard finds happiness in her life...with or without me.

**Korlus - Commander Alonso - 1900 hours**

The sun is beginning to set and this place is giving me the creeps. The large ships around us have created shadows of purple, creating night for us and making it difficult to see our enemies. We ran across a tankbred Krogan a few minutes ago. Apparently, Okeer, the Krogan we are looking for, was breeding Krogan full size but for some reason, they were being released and left to rot. I don't know what Okeer is doing but we are going to find out.

As we headed inside a ship, I turn on my flashlight on my eviscerator as we made our way down a decline. The place was so dark that I couldn't even see my gun. Miranda, Sturridge and I hugged the far right wall as Zaeed, Garrus and Shepard hugged the left.

"All clear." Garrus announced through the comm. I nodded to myself as he wouldn't see me and turned the corner.

"Watch your step and don't look down." I whispered as I pointed my gun down, revealing the dark abyss down below us. I tossed a large rock with my foot over the ledge and didn't hear it crash on the bottom until seven seconds later. I gulped and laughed nervously, _Yeah that wasn't a good idea._

"I looked down." Amanda replied shortly after and I rolled my eyes.

"Enemy in front!" Miranda hissed as everyone went behind cover. Shepard and Garrus were behind us, taking cover behind pillars; Zaeed was behind a barrier on my right; Amanda crouched behind a create and Miranda crouched close beside me. "Your light!" She whispered and I immediately turned the light off "Krogan last seen approaching the both of us." _Shit! _I told myself as I gripped my shotgun close. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness and I popped my head out of cover and saw the Krogan looking around, heading towards Miranda and me.

"Ready?" I turned to face Miranda who looked at me with confusion.

"Ready for wh-" I didn't hear the rest as I rounded the corner and began to charge at the Krogan, shooting my shotgun from the hip. "Charlie!" I heard her yell in panic as I flared my biotics, sending a blue flamed fist into the Krogan face. It stumbled back a few steps, getting closer to the edge. Gunfire soon ensued as Miranda began shooting the stumbling Krogan, followed by a biotic slam. The Krogan's front side of his face turned to goop and I just stood there staring at him.

"Don't EVER do that again!" Mirada slapped me so hard I almost fell over the edge. I turned to face her and she was not impressed at all.

I frowned and looked down at my feet. "Sorry...I-" Miranda scoffed and walked ahead of us.

"Wow..." Jane wrapped her arm around my shoulder, smirking. "She's pissed!"

"Yeah I have to admit that was stupid."

"Are you trying to piss her off?" Shepard asked.

I shook my head, "No..." I sighed. "Come on everyone, let's keep going."

As we walked, I couldn't see Miranda and I began calling her. "Miranda?"

No response. I called her again, this time through the comm. "Miranda do you copy?" I asked, panic in my voice.

No response.

_Oh shit._ "Run!" I ordered and I sprinted out of the area and back outside. Miranda was caught in a firefight between Blue suns. "Miranda!" I cried out as I heard her cry out from a gunshot wound. I ran towards her, shooting with my heavy pistol wildly. I crouched beside her and looked at her shoulder.

"I'm fine." She said in pain.

"Bullshit!" I yelled back as I took out my first aid kit and pulled out a tweezer. "This is going to sting." I pulled the tip in and safely took out the bullet. My heart began to ache as I heard Miranda scream. "You're okay." I reassured her and I began to apply medigel on her wound. "Don't move." I ordered and she nodded and the rest of the group began clearing the area of enemies.

With one final headshot, Garrus annouced, "Twenty and all clear."

"I have twenty-two!" Jane replied with a grin and I rolled my eyes.

At this point, I don't even care how many kills I have. "You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up." I ordered. Jane took point and led the team on. I turned to Miranda who lay with her legs stretched out. I walked over and sat next to her. "You okay?" I asked softly.

"It's just an arm wound." Miranda scoffed and looked away, her voice cold as ice.

"You've got to be more careful."

"I could say the same thing about you!" She replied.

"I'm sorry." I said with a frown.

"Stop saying that if you don't bloody mean it!" Her Australian accent became heavier the angrier she got. "The fact that you don't care about your well being concerns me! We need you alive. I..." Miranda stopped and shook her head. She got up and reloaded her Shuriken submachine gun. "Are we going or not?" she asked annoyed. I simply looked at her. _What was she about to say?_ I sighed and got up as well.

"You're welcome!" I cried out.

"I can take care of myself." She retorted as we walked to regroup with the rest of the squad. I glared my eyes at her. _Clearly!_ I exhaled in frustration. _I don't even know what to do with you._

**Minutes Later...**

"Hurry up you two!" Shepard's voice came through the comm as Miranda and I began climbing up a flight of stairs. Gunshots could be heard not so far from us. We pass through bodies of dead Blue Suns mercs and we came across what would appear to be the outer part of the ship as there was a large, opened area. From a distance, I saw the rest of my squad fighting a squadron of Blue Suns. "We have heavy resistance! It looks like we are close. Where the fuck are you two!" Jane yelled through the comms.

I looked at Miranda and ordered, "Come on! Double time!"

"With you!"

As we ran, I withdrew my shotgun from my back, aiming it at a rocket trooper and fired, causing him to fall to the ground as Miranda drew her pistol and shot a man's head clean right between the eyes. I slid to cover, reaching to my boot and throwing a set of knives towards the throats of three others. I smirked at the scene as Miranda rolled her eyes beside me.

"Oh lighten up sweetheart." I said with a wink and jumped over cover and biotically charged at a commando, and kicked him off of the ship. I leaned my head over the edge and watched the man crash down on an antennae. I winced sympathetically but quickly shrugged.

"Watch out!" Miranda yelled behind me. I turned around and saw a rocket trooper launching a rocket towards me. I flared my biotics and lifted the rocket and ran towards him. One punch was good enough to make him stumble. I threw him behind me and Miranda followed with a heavy slam. I smiled and nodded at the raven haired brunette who smiled back.

"You're getting good with those knives Charlie." Amanda smiled as she handed me back the knives.

"What can I say, I had a great teacher." I winked at her, causing her to blush. Shepard and Miranda rolled their eyes. "Let's keep going."

"I am reading heavy activity nearby." EDI reported through the comm. "Further scanning shows there are breeding pods beyond the door in front of you."

"Thank you EDI." I began as we stacked up behind the door. With a nod from everyone, we entered and found a dead Krogan on a bed and an asari on the opposite side of the room.

"Shepard don't shoot! You know me." The asari held her arms in surrender. I looked at Shepard who looked surprised.

"Dr. Thanoptis? What are you doing here?" Jane asked.

"I work here. I shut down the security cameras as soon as I saw you. Never thought I'd say this but I'm glad it's you shooting up the place."

"I assume you have a good reason to being here?" Jane asked, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry! I'm not wasting the chance you gave me. My work here...is strictly beneficial. Okeer is trying to do something good even though his methods are a little... umm extreme. Everyone deserves a second chance. Right?"

"What's Okeer doing here?" I asked, mimicking Shepard's posture.

"It's complicated." The asari doctor began, scratching her forehead. "Jedore wants a private army, but Okeer mostly ignores her. He's running some sort of project for his own reasons."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You mean you don't know?"

Thanoptis shook her head. "Sadly, no. Though, I created a mental imprint routine to educate his tank-bread, but most of them don't get through it. He dumps them for some reason. He wants to help his people, but he is not looking for a genophage cure...He's not going for numbers. That's all I know."

"Finding you in a place like this makes me second guess my decision to let you go on Virmire." Jane said.

"Don't worry Commander. I plan on staying as far away from anything to do with you as possible. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to run like hell before you blow the place or something. I know how you work."

"I'm all for giving second chances," Garrus began. "But three? Not so much."

I looked at Garrus and nodded. "I agree, should've killed her. She knows way too much."

"Well I made the call so you can shove it." Shepard responded with a grin, gaining a glare from me. "Come on Okeer should be in the other room." As we went through the next door, we came across a single pod with a Krogan inside and one other Krogan standing in front of the pod.

"You are here! I've watched your progress." The Krogan deeply spoke as he turned to face us. "It's about time. The batteries in these tanks will not wait while you play cowboy with these idiodic mercs."

"I assume you are Okeer? You don't seem...happy to see me." I crossed my arms as I waited for the Krogan's response.

"You claim that you are here to help, but the formerly deceased Commander Alonso is not a sign of gentle change, especially when following Commander Shepard." I stared blankly at him. "Surprised? All of the Krogan should know the both of you. And I'm sure Rana has already revisited Shepard's actions on Virmire has she not?" Jane nodded in reply.

"I make no apologies. The base had to be destroyed. It was the most efficient solution."

Okeer held up his hands in surrender. "Ah but I approve. Saren's pale horde were **not** true Krogan. The mistake of an outsider, one that these mercs have also made." The Krogan scientist...or at least the closest thing to a Krogan scientist, looked out the large window nearby. Jane and I stepped closer and looked out of the window as well. A female merc stood pacing angrily back and forth. "I gave their leader my rejects for her army. But she grows impatient. It's time for you to take me out of here."

"We don't care about your actions." Zaeed pipped in. "We need you for the collectors."

"I see. Yes, Collector attacks have increased. A human concern. My requests were focused elsewhere." He turned towards the tank-sealed Krogan.

"Who is this?" Miranda asked, her scientific interest peaked.

"I acquired the knowledge to create one pure soldier. With that, I will inflict upon the genophage the greatest insult the enemy can suffer."

"A Krogan without disease? Thats...impressive work." I said as I approached the tank and inspected the Krogan inside. He looked menacing enough. Perhaps there is some way we can have him instead.

"This one is not negotiable!" Okeer seemed to read my mind. "He is the key to my legacy." _Legacy...there's that word again. _I looked over to Miranda whose face quickly turned to anger. I gave her an all-knowing look and she breathed deeply.

"Attention!" a woman's voice reverberated throughout the room. "I traced the Krogan release, Okeer, of course. I'm starting this project over from scratch. Get Okeer's data and flush the fucking tanks." She ordered.

"She is that weak-willed? She will kill my legacy with a damned valve!" Okeer turned furiously to face us. "Commander, you want information on the Collectors? Stop her. She'll try to access contaminations in the storage bay."

"Why don't you just start over?" Jane inquires.

"This tank is pure. Starting over will not duplicate it. It **must** survive."

_Ugh! Fine as long as you shut the hell up._ "Come on. Let's kill ourselves some mercs."

Everyone nodded and we made our way out the door and down the flight of stairs into the large room of pods. "Spread out!" I ordered as a mixture of Krogans, YMIR Mechs and Blue suns troopers. "I need those shields gone! Zaeed, take out the Mech's armor with your grenades! Garrus, Shepard, take out the troopers. I'll handle the big guy." I grinned as I stood face to face with a Krogan. _Let's dance you ugly lizard brain._ The Krogan roared and began to charge at me and I flared my biotics and lifted him in the air. _Heh, oldest trick in the book. These guys aren't that smart. _I launched a knife into the Krogan's eye and he died instantly. I turned around and began to help Miranda before she got hurt...again. I sprinted over and tag teamed with the raven haired brunette as we took out a centurion.

"Thanks." She said and I nodded.

"Where are the reinforcements!" Jedore yelled but she was nowhere to be found. No doubt she was cowering behind cover.

Miranda and I exchanged smirking looks. "Shall we?" I offered.

"Absolutely." Miranda and I walked sideways, back to back, looking for the Blue Suns commander. _You can't hide forever. _From the corner of my eye, I saw a blue shield behind cover. I poked at Miranda's ribs and pointed at Jedore's location.

"So...singularity then warp?" She whispered in my ear.

"I was thinking slam then warp." I responded with a grin. Miranda nodded and the both of us flared our biotics. Miranda began with a slam, causing Jedore to bounce off the floor. As soon as she bounced, I hit her with a warp field, causing the commander to disintegrate into ashes.

"Not bad Lawson." I winked.

"Not so bad yourself." She mimicked the gesture. "We make a good team."

"Indeed." I smiled as we regrouped with the rest of the squad who seemed to dispose of the rest.

"What? There are alarms in the lab!" Garrus pointed at the window above us. "Whats that Krogan doing up there?"

"I don't know but it doesn't look good." Zaeed piped in.

"I agree. We should hurry." Amanda suggested.

"Commander," EDI came in through the comm, "the lab alarms coincided with a system failure. You should hurry."

_Crap._ "You heard her! Hurry it up!" I ordered as we ran up the stairs and back towards Okeer lab. I froze as I waltz in, seeing Okeer dead on the ground in front of his terminal.

"Why did you sto- Oh..." Shepard crashed into me. "Well now what?"

I walked up to the terminal and clicked on the video that Okeer created before he died. "You gave me time, Alonso. If I knew why the Collectors wanted humans, I would tell you. But everything is in my prototype. My legacy is pure. This...one soldier, this grunt. Is perfect." Okeer stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Why would someone so fanatical sacrificed himself for one Krogan?" Garrus asked, showing confusion.

"Not sure but as second in command, I suggest we leave it." Miranda said as he inspected the Krogan inside the tank.

"Are you nuts?" I began; astounded that she would even consider it. "I am not going back to the Normandy empty handed."

"We don't know anything about it! It could be hostile and tear throughout the ship! Who knows what this maniac implanted in its brain!" Miranda retorted.

"Look this isn't how we should resolve this." Shepard sighed in frustration. "The Krogan won't attack as long as it's in the tank. Bring him onboard the ship. Take some time to think about it and then we can decide what to do with it."

"Shepard is right." Amanda began. "The Krogan may be a powerful ally."

"Or it may not!" Miranda responded.

"Enough!" I called up the Normandy through the comm. "Normandy? Okeer is a no-go but we need a package that needs retrieval. And he's a big one."

**Minutes later...**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Cargo Bay**

"Take the Krogan towards the Port Cargo area." I instructed the guards who nodded and took the sleeping Krogan up at the engineering deck. "We'll decide what to do with it later." I finished as everyone went inside the elevator. "Where do you think you're going?" I asked Miranda who stopped and turned.

"My quarters?" She tried. "I have to report to The Illusive Man."

I shook my head. "Absolutely not. As I recall, you are injured. Go to the medbay and get Chakwas to patch you up."

"I can stitch it myself." She glared her eyes at me before turning around and heading inside the elevator.

"You know you should probably be thanking me!" I yelled, following her into the elevator.

Miranda chuckled. "Thank you? For what!"

"Umm for saving you?" I tried but Miranda simply rolled her eyes.

"As I said before, I can take _care_ of myself!"

I huffed in return. "Clearly."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh you know." I paused for effect. "You got hurt?"

"Because of you! You stupid, egotistical idiot!" Miranda fumed in anger.

"I'm the idiot?" I said in mockingly gripping my heart, acting hurt. The door opened and Miranda stepped out furiously into the med bay. "I thought you could take care of yourself." I said with a smirk as Miranda sat on one of the bed cots.

"Just...go! I've had just about enough of you to last me a lifetime!"

"Or two!" I said with a lopsided grin.

"Is there something I can help you with Miss Lawson?" Chakwas asked as she gazed between me and my ex.

"She got hurt because she was foolish. On her right shoulder. I removed the bullet but she needs stitches." I replied with a smile. Chakwas went over to Miranda and inspected my clean up.

"You did good work Charlie. No signs of infection." Chakwas got out her stitching kit and did what she did best. Miranda was anything but impressed, as she glared her eyes at me.

"What are you looking at? Don't you have anything better to do?" She snarled.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not really." I said with a smile, making Miranda scoff in reply. "Briefing in a half an hour. As my XO, I expect you to be there."

"I can hardly wait." She said sarcastically and I left the med bay with a smile on my face.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Shepard - 2100 hours**

"Bringing the Krogan for study make sense, _C__ommander._" Miranda began, snarling at Charlie's rank while glaring at him. "But I have concerns about waking it."

"Oh come one princess! Take a minute to think about it." Charlie said enthusiastically.

"I will if you stop calling me that!" Miranda gritted her teeth.

I rolled my eyes at the exchange. _God these two behave like children. How these two are our team leaders is beyond me._ I sighed and cracked my fingers. So_ much for trying to get these two to get along._ "Charlie has a point." I began. "The Krogan could be beneficial towards out fight against the Collectors."

"A normal Krogan is dangerous. This one was created by a madman." Miranda averted her gaze from the CO towards me.

"Does that turn you on Miri? The 'danger'?" Charlie used air quotes when saying 'danger'.

Miranda stiffened but soon regained her composure. _God this is so unprofessional. He violating every rule in the book... And why the fuck am I here? I'm just a member of the crew? _"This is your decision Commander. Just be careful."

"Don't worry princess. A Krogan can't hurt me." Charlie smirked and winked at Miranda.

"We'll see about that." She responded coldly.

_Ugh That's it!_ I turned around and stomped out of the room and headed down towards the elevator, ignoring everyone and leaving those two idiots to fight amongst themselves. _Those two are such children that it's hurting my brain! I can't fucking take this mental abuse anymore. If Miranda doesn't shoot Charlie soon, I will._ As I went inside my quarters, I flopped down in my bed. _What I need right now is some peace and quiet which is exactly what I will get!_

* * *

**Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed my lame attempt at humor between the two exes.**

**The awakening of Grunt and Jack's recruitment will be the following chapter.**

**I want to answer the question of Vemilyus about Shep's and Liara's reunion. It won't be for awhile so my apologies. I still have Horizon to write but their reunion will surely be after that. I was thinking of doing Kasumi's mission right after Horizon but I'll have Liara's reunion first instead :)**

**Two things: 1) As you may or may not have noticed, I added a story picture! YAY! So now you can see what both of my Spectres look like! :D I may change them later if I find better shots that I took of them. The dimensions of images on FF are much to be desired :-/**

**2) I have shorten the name of my story to just 'The Two Spectres'. The previous name was just a bit two long for my liking. Hope nobody gets confused by this.**

**Anyways as always... (god I feel like a scratched up record player now but) leave a review and favorite, subscribe and follow me and my story/stories that I have written. I am still getting some favorites from my other two stories which I thank those who have. I appreciate the love.**

**Anyways I hope you enjoy the rest of your days until my next update.**

**Until next time!**


	6. Purgatory

**Hello everyone!**

**New chapter for you awesome people**

**An unexpected surprise awaits Charlie and Miri in this chapter so I hope you enjoy it.**

**See you on the other side.**

**EDIT: Added a few extra lines throughout the story.**

* * *

**Purgatory**

**November 3, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso - 2110 hours**

"Well you can go get yourself killed by that grunt then! See if I bloody care!" Miranda huffed and stormed out of the conference room, just seconds after Shepard left. I roll my eyes and storm out of the room as well.

"Commander, do you have a moment?" Kelly asked as I rounded the corner and headed towards the elevator.

"Anything for you Kelly." I said with a mischievous grin, causing the young redhead to blush adorably. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering...if you wanted to spend some time and togeth-"

"Miss Chambers!" Miranda's said in a raging tone as she came into the CIC from Mordin's lab, causing both Kelly and I to jump and turn towards her.

"I was just-" Kelly began but was interrupted by Miranda once more.

"What have we discussed in my quarters!" Miranda gritted her teeth.

"But-"

"Nothing!"

Kelly frowned and resumed her work. _What the hell is going on?_

"Umm was there something I missed?" I asked, turning to Miranda who simply looked at me with glaring, devilish eyes.

"You!" Miranda invaded my privacy space and jabbed her finger in my chest. "You will stop flirting with every woman on this ship or so help me I will pull you by the ear and take you down and stuff you into the fucking trash compactor and dump you out in space! Are we clear on that?"

"But I was just ta-" Miranda flared her biotics and slapped me hard across the face.

_What the fuck!_ I rolled on the floor, crying in pain. "Son of a bitch! What the fuck was that for?" I yelled, rubbing the large burn on my face with my hand.

"That, commander, is for driving me crazy. Let that be a reminder." With that, Miranda turned on her heels and stormed inside the elevator and left to her quarters...or at least I assume.

"Commander!" Kelly kneeled next to me and caressed her hand on the hand print that Miranda left.

"I'm fine Kelly I just... I should go."

Kelly frowned but nodded. "I hope you feel better."

I sighed as I got up from the steel floor. I straitened my clothes and noticed everyone looking at me. I rolled my eyes. "Get back to work!" Just as I was about to press the button to head up in my quarters, I hesitated and punched the crew deck button.

_No way I am letting Miranda treat me that way!_

Once I entered her room I saw her typing away as if nothing happened.

"You have a lot of nerve Lawson."

"Sorry Commander but I'm busy as you can see. Come back when you have something useful." Miranda spoke dismissively as she typed.

I flared my biotics and threw Miranda's terminal towards the wall, shattering it to pieces. _Does that get your attention NOW! _I glared my eyes at her as she clenched her fist.

"You will pay for that replacement Commander."

"I will do no such thing." I walked around her desk and dragged Miranda towards the wall, pinning her by the arms. "Let me be perfectly clear _Lawson._ I will throw you in the brig the next time you ever slap me again."

"Did I hurt your ego?" Miranda said with mirth in her voice. "Good! You deserved it!"

I flared my biotics in frustration. "Stop playing games! I am tired of it!" I yelled, causing her body to stiffen under my grasp. I quickly let go and paced in front of her. "Why are you hell bent on destroying me?" She just stared at me with a blank face. "I..." My voice softened and I fell to the ground. "I can't do this. The constant fighting. Everything. But for whatever reason I just keep doing it." Miranda sat down next to me but said nothing. "We've got to put an end to this Mir-Lawson." I kicked myself mentally as I almost called her by nickname again. "Maybe it's a defense mechanism for the hurt you cause me over two years ago..." I sighed and continued. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Miranda reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I gasped at her touch and I almost found myself pulling away. Miranda's touch is something that I truly miss. "Nothing's wrong with you. I should probably apologize for the slap. I..." Miranda began searching for something to say. I looked at her and she looked so lost. "I have to admit that I felt jealous."

My brows shot up in surprise. "You? Jealous?" I chuckled in disbelief and Miranda began to blush. "You can get any man or woman you want. If anyone would be jealous...it would be me." I looked down shyly.

"That's very kind of you but...you're the only person I could ever want." I gasped internally at her words. "I wish things would go back to the way they were." Miranda spoke after a minute of silence. It almost sounded as a suggestion than just a thought. We immediately looked at one another, her steel blue eyes seemed to sparkle. I looked down at her lips and they curled upward into a sweet smile.

_God what is she doing?_ I found myself leaning closer to her as Miranda did the same. I closed my eyes a millisecond after she did and our lips touched. The pure electricity from the kiss was bigger than anything I have felt before. My body began to shiver with delight as Miranda climbed on top of me, gently holding my cheeks as the kiss developed as our tongues rolled into play. They seeked for dominance and after awhile, Miranda won the battle. _Her lips tastes better than before!_ I thought to myself as I intertwined my fingers in her soft, perfect hair. _God that smell!_ The smell of Miranda's lavender perfume ignited the old and dying flame.

"I've been dying for this moment." Miranda gasped between kisses.

"Miri..." I moaned as Miranda began to plant soft kisses below my ear, creating soft shivers all over me. _How can this be happening? _I pulled her away reluctantly and shook my head. "We...I..." _Damn it! _"We shouldn't do this. I can't do this."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - XO's Quarters - Operative Lawson - 2130 hours**

"...I can't do this." Charlie said after pulling me away. My heart began to shatter into a million pieces. _We were enjoying this! Why did he stop?_

"But I thought that..." I began as I tried to kiss him once more. Charlie gently placed his hands on my chest, stopping my advancement.

"I know and I do too please believe me but..."

"Chief Williams." I snarled at the name and the Commander nodded. I removed myself from Charlie's lap and sat next to him, frustrated at our situation. "What happens now?" I asked, hopeful for something.

"I honestly don't know." He finally spoke after a long pause. "All I know is that I will hurt you if we continue down this path. I...I care too much about you as a friend."

My heart feels like it's being stabbed repeatedly. _As a friend? Is that all I am to you?_ I frowned and looked away, hoping that he won't see the tears fall down my face.

"Hey." He said softly and he placed a finger under my chin and gently turned my head to face him. "Don't cry okay?" I could only nod because if I were to talk, I'm afraid there would be no voice coming out. He placed one quick kiss on my lips and smiled. "I can't be a lover but I hope you know that I'll always - I repeat - _always_ be there for you. No matter what." He brought me closer into his arms and held me. The warmth of his body was enough to send me head over heels. I wanted him to myself but that can never happen with Williams in the picture. I hope and pray that something happens to her. I closed my eyes as Charlie ran his fingers through my hair. The sound of his steady heartbeat was soothing that it could cause me to go to sleep.

"I should probably go wake up that Krogan now." Charlie said after minutes of holding me in his arms. I opened my eyes and looked up at him with worrying eyes. "I'll be okay." He reassured and released his hold on me and began to stand up. I soon followed and stared at him.

"Be careful." I said.

"No promises." He winked with a gorgeous smile and walked out of my office. I sighed and scratched my shoulder as I looked over towards my now destroyed terminal. _What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Engineering Deck - Commander Alonso - 2140 hours**

_Well that went better than I would've hope but worse than I feared. _I knew that my feelings for Miranda were always there but I can't bring myself to act on those feelings. Not when Ashley is out there somewhere. I frown as she hasn't replied to my messages. _She's probably on a mission somewhere undercover. _I tried to convince myself. _It's the only situation that fits based on TIM's and Anderson's evasiveness on the subject._ As I enter the port side cargo hold, I saw the large breeding tank with the Krogan inside it.

"EDI, what can you tell me about him." I asked.

"He's a Krogan." The ship's AI said with seriousness. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"I knew _that_ but what else?"

"The subject is an exceptional example of the Krogan species," EDI began, "with fully formed primary, secondary, and tertiary organs. No defects of any kind aside from genetic markers of the genophage present in all Krogan." EDI paused. "I cannot judge mental functioning."

"So I guess he can't see us in there or that he's aware?" I asked as I stepped closer to the tank.

"Correct. Current neural patterns indicate minimal cognition."

I breathed deeply. "Alright, stand by. I'm going let him out."

"Cerberus protocol is very clear regarding untested alien technology." EDI said almost immediately.

"Last time I checked, I am not Cerberus. This is my ship and you will follow my orders EDI." I spat. "Open the tank."

"Very well, Commander. The controls are online. The switch - and the consequences - are yours."

A large red button immerged beside the tank. I inched closer and pressed it. I backed away and watched as the tank's water supply began to flood on the floor and into the drain near the wall. The doors opened and the Krogan awoke and puked out water from his lungs. Seconds later, the large Krogan began to stand. _Holy shit he's big._ I stood my ground as I watched the Krogan stand tall, growling at my direction.

The Krogan growled once more and began to charge at me and rammed me into the wall behind me. I winced internally as he jammed his plated arm into my neck.

"Human. Male." He spoke in a low, growling voice. "Before you die, I need a name."

"Commander Alonso and I don't take threats likely. I suggest you put me down before you do something that you will regret."

The Krogan jammed his arm tighter into my neck and began to huff. "Not your name. Mine. I know things, but the tank... Okeer didn't implant connection. His words are hollow. Warlord, Legacy, Grunt... Grunt. 'Grunt'," He sneered. "Among the last. It has no meaning. It'll do. I am Grunt. If you're worthy of your command, prove your strength and try to destroy me."

"Why do you want me to kill you?" I asked.

"Want? I do what I am meant to. To fight and reveal the strongest. Nothing in the tank ever asked what I wanted. Okeer's imprint failed. He has failed. Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as another." Grunt glared. "Might as well start with you."

"I took you, and I released you. Follow my command and I am sure you will find what you seek. My enemies threaten galaxies. Everyone on _my_ ship has earned their place."

"Hmmm." He looked into my eyes, testing me but I will back down to nobody. "Hmph! That's acceptable. I'll fight for you."

I grinned. "I'm glad you saw reason." I looked down at the gun that has secretly made its way towards Grunt's abdomen.

"Hmm?" He grunted as he looked down. Grunt laughed as he put me down. "Ha! Offer one hand but arm the other. Wise Commander. If I find a clan. If I find what I...want. I will be honored to pit them against you."

_Oh gee, I look forward to that._ I sighed but nodded. "There will be no shortage of killing while under my command. We are heading to a high security prison to free a squad member. It should be quick and easy but I want you to tag along just in case. There will be two humans and a turian accompanying me. I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Do not worry Alonso." Grunt began. "As long as the turian stays away, I guarantee that I won't beat him to a pulp and feast on him."

_That's a...disturbing image._ I gulped but nodded nonetheless and made a quick exit.

**November 4, 2185**

**Purgatory - Airlock - Commander Shepard - 0600 hours**

"This should be an easy transfer." Miranda began as we made our exit from the Normandy. "The Illusive Man has paid a lot of money for Jack's release. There shouldn't be a problem."

"And here I was expecting to fight." Grunt, one of the biggest Krogan I have ever seen, huffed behind me.

A helmeted turian came forth with an avenger rifle and looked at Charlie who led the squad of Miranda, Garrus, Grunt and me. "Welcome to Purgatory Commander Alonso. Your package is being prepped and you can claim it shortly. As this is a high security vessel, I must ask you to relinquish your weapons to us." Two other turian guards behind him looked at us, attentive and waiting for orders.

There was a slight pause before Charlie drew out his heavy pistol. Everyone is the room quickly followed and aimed our guns at one another. "I'll relinquish one bullet. Where do you want it?" Charlie asked with a smirk.

"Everyone stand down!" A turian walked into the airlock, strutting towards us. "Commander, I am Warden Kuril. This is my ship and your weapons will be returned to you before you leave. You must understand that this is just procedure."

"We aren't going in without protection. You must understand it's just procedure." Charlie spat back as he hasn't flinched.

"Let them proceed." The warden looked at us with a glare. "I am sure our facility is capable to handle five armed guests. If you will follow me Commander, I will lead you to processing while we finish the last details on Jack's release."

_Well...that went well._ I looked at Charlie in amazement at his...aggressive decisions. _Let's hope this goes down as planned._

"As you can see," Kuril began, "We keep tight control of the population. We house thousands of the galaxies most dangerous criminals. These modular units holds inmates twenty hours a day, seven days a week. The ship has thirty identical cell blocks, each holding hundreds. We can place the ship in lock-down at a moment's notice." The turian turned his head and looked at Charlie in almost a challenging stare. _I don't like that look._ I said to myself before I looked out the window and watched mechanical arms moving the large modular units around the cell block.

"Any escape attempts?" Miranda asked.

Kuril shook his head as we continued to walk. "We're in space. There is nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. But, we exercise extreme caution and we use a variety of methods to keep the inmates in-line." Kuril waved towards a guard beating down an inmate in his cell. My brows furrowed in disgust as I briefly watched. _Don't they have anything better to do?_

"Processing is straight down that hall." Kuril pointed at the door on the far side from us. "I have some last minute things to attend to." The warden turned back and walked the way we came in. "I'll catch you later, Alonso." The door closed behind us and I cleared my throat to speak.

"I don't like this Charlie. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"I agree with Shepard. It feels...odd." Garrus nodded.

"I feel it too." Charlie agreed, "Be on your toes." He turned his attention towards the large Krogan following us and grinned. "Maybe you'll see some fighting after all Grunt."

"Heh! Good." Grunt pounded his fists together in anticipation.

We walked into a basic looking room with a few chairs and tables along with a couple terminals on the far left. A human dressed in a doctor's coat typed away at his terminal near the door. "Hello, processing is on the other side of the door on the far side of the room." The man nodded towards the door. _Now, this feels even more of a trap._ I held my right hand near my pistol as we walked closer to the door. Charlie looked at us and we nodded in reply, waiting for the worst. The door opened and we found a dead end. A large cell.

"I am sorry Commander but you are more valuable as a prisoner than a customer." Kuril's voice came cowardly though the PA system.

"I knew it!" I mumbled.

"Surrender your weapons and step into the cell. You will be unharmed."

"Fuck you." Charlie grunted, "You want me? You better come and fight me. I'll put you in a body bag."

"Activate systems!"

"Take cover!" I yelled as I ran and crouched into cover, waiting for enemies to arrive.

A handful of enemies came rushing in, guns blazing as they moved to cover. Garrus pulled out his sniper beside me and slowly began picking Blue Suns mercs off. I brought out my vindicator rifle and shot and killed three mercs as they tried to flank us.

"FENRIS mechs!" Charlie ordered and Grunt destroyed them and was already charging at a centurion, headbutting and punching the merc to a bloody pulp.

"Hah! Squishy human!" Grunt growled. _Alright be sure not to angry the big Krogan._ I said to myself as he barreled down and finished off the rest of the mercs by himself.

"That only counts as one." Garrus quipped as we regrouped and stacked at the entrance.

"Agreed." Charlie and I said in unison. "We have to get Jack." Charlie began, "I'm not leaving here empty handed. EDI, can you get me the schematics?"

"One moment." EDI paused. "Take the first left and the station's security controls are there. Sensors indicate that Jack is still in cryogenic stasis. Once you deactivate the security systems, all of the inmates will be set free including Jack."

"Shit!" Charlie mumbled and sighed. "Alright, lets free Jack and worry about the rest as we go along."

"For once, I was hoping there was a plan." Miranda began as she stared at our CO. "It appears I was wrong." She frowned.

I nodded and smiled. "We're right behind you."

**Purgatory - Commander Alonso - 0645 hours**

"Everyone be ready." I walked up to the terminal and began the program to hack into it and release the inmates from their cells. I looked out the large window in front of me and saw a mechanical arm insert itself into the ground below and revealing a large cylinder. Three YMIR mechs stood attentive in front of it, armed and ready. The large cylinder's doors began to open revealing a small, skinny girl. _She looks to be around twenty-four years old_, I said to myself as my eyes moved up and down the small woman. She was in metal restraints on her neck and wrists, tattoos covered most of her upper body and the only clothing she wore were baggy brown pants and two very thin leather straps that covered the woman's nipples, being held by a choker of sorts.

"That's Jack?" Miranda and Shepard said in unison; Miranda's voice sounding unimpressed.

Jack clenched her fists and awoke, gasping for air. Jack broke free from her wrist restraints with ease and ripped off the one on her neck. _Well she is pretty strong for her size_. Her biotics flared as soon as she noticed the large heavy mechs in front of her, charging at the three with a thunderous roar. A large explosion caused everyone except Grunt to fall on the floor. _Holy shit! Fuck she's strong. I need her on my team._

"We need to get to her. Fast!" I yelled as I got up and headed down the stairs and through the hole Jack made. "Impressive." I said to nobody in particular.

"Hardly. She's clearly psychotic and suicidal." Miranda scoffed as she walked beside me.

"Jealous Miri?" I winked

"Not in the slightest." She spat.

**Fifteen minutes later...**

After fighting a barrage of YMIR mechs, Blue Suns and inmates; and going through countless medi-gels, we have caught up with Warden Kuril, who cowardly shot behind a barrier bubble. "We've got to take out those biotic generators. Miranda, you're with me. Everyone else, get those mercs off our back while we disable the generators. Once that bubble disappears, spray the asshole."

"You bet!" Miranda and I ran over a nearby bridge towards the other side and Miranda hit an overload at the generator and I finished it off with a few well placed shots. "On our right!" Miranda yelled behind cover. I flared my biotics and pulled a merc near me and Miranda finished it off with a warp. "Down you go!"

After taking two other generators, the barrier disappeared and my squad buried the warden full of bullets, killing him instantly. _Take that you asshole!_

"Good riddance!" Shepard announced proudly. "I got twenty-nine."

"Pftt! Thirty-seven!" Garrus smirked.

"Fifty." Miranda and I said in unison.

"Wow, we even got Miranda in the game." Jane said with surprise as Miranda simply smiled and winking at my direction.

"Heh, I counted one-hundred." Grunt pounded his fists together, leaving everyone else to hang their heads in shame.

"That's no fair! He's a Krogan." Jane pouted and stomped the ground like a small child.

I looked up and saw Jack heading towards the Normandy's airlock and I dashed into a full sprint. "Come on! She's at the airlock!"

Once we got to our ship, Jack was growling in frustration. She didn't notice a Blue Suns merc taking aim at her and I reached for my pistol and shot him through the eyes. Jack froze and looked at our direction. A blue swirl circled her hands as she stood in a defensive posture.

"What the fuck do you want?" Jack snarled, eyes filled with hate and something else that I couldn't quite read.

"You're welcome." I said sarcastically, "I'm blowing this place, thought you might want to come along."

"And why would I do that? You're Cerberus. I'm not going anywhere with you." Jack spat.

"I'm here to ask for your help and I'm not with them." I holstered my pistol and crossed my arms behind my back.

The bald-headed woman pointed at the ship docked to the station. "You show up in a Cerberus frigate and expect me to go with you somewhere? Uh uh, don't think so."

"We could just knock her out and take her." Miranda offered.

Jack tsked, "I love to see you try, Cerberus whore."

"It might just come to that." I bluffed.

"You're just going to have to kill me. Look you want me to come with you? Make it worth my while." Jack crossed her arms in front of her small chest.

_Fine._ "What do you want?"

"I bet your ship has tons Cerberus databases. I want to look at those files and see what Cerberus has on me. You want me on the team? Give me access to the files."

"Done." I said instantly, causing Miranda to look at me with a deadly glare.

"Charlie, you are not authorized to do that!" Miranda yelled in frustration.

Jack smirked and chuckled. "Aww it upsets the cheerleader. Even better! You better not be fucking with me." There was a pause after shaking my head. "So why the fuck are we standing here?"

"Let's go." I ordered and everyone walked into the Normandy.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso - 0730 hours**

Clearly upset, Miranda paced back and forth in front of me as Jack, Miranda, Shepard and myself stood in the room. "Welcome to the Normandy, Jack. I'm Miranda, Alonso's second in command. On this ship, we follow orders."

Jack rolled her eyes and looked over Miranda's shoulders to look at me. "Tell this Cerberus cheerleader to back off. This bitch is pissing me off. I'm only here because of our deal."

"Uhh Charlie?" I heard someone call my name but I was looking intently at Miranda's perfect ass in front of me. Miranda turned around and glared at me. _Oh shit..._ I stood up straight and put on my best smile. Miranda rolled her eyes and made her way to stand beside me.

"Umm where were we?" I asked.

"The files you promised." Jack reminded me. _Oh right...I knew that!_

"I'll have Miranda here give you full access into the system. Let me know what you find."

Jack turned to face Miranda with a grin. "Hear the precious?" Jack invaded Miranda's personal space as she mocked her. "We're going to be friends! You, me, and every fucking embarrassing little secret." Jack back away, leaving Miranda looking displeased, "I'll be reading down in some hole or somewhere near the bottom. I don't like a lot of though traffic." Jack turned to leave but not before saying, "Keep your people off me. It's better that way."

As the door closed behind Jack, Miranda looked at me with a glare. "You and I need to have a serious conversation after you get cleaned up."

"Is that a secret code for another make out session?" I asked with a smirk.

"What?" Shepard asked in disbelief. _Oh, you're still here._

Miranda and I blushed instantaneously as we slowly turned to Shepard, who looked at us with a glare of her own. "Ummm hi." I said with a sheep smile. "Just...forget you ever heard that. I..." I turned to Miranda. "We'll be going now...so... umm yeah. Bye." Miranda and I made our exit, leaving Shepard looking on in disbelief. The two of us walked into the elevator together, punching the button to take us to the crew deck.

"We're in trouble aren't we?" I asked, staring straight ahead.

"I'm afraid so." Miranda responded softly. The doors opened and Miranda walked towards her office while I made my way towards the medbay, to surely be scolded by Chakwas.

"Sit." Chakwas instructed and I sat on the closest cot, removing my shirt. "You always seemed to get injured don't you?" She asked rhetorically as she scanned me with her omni-tool.

"Comes with the job doc." I shrugged.

"Hmm..." she said. _That can't be good._

"What do you mean 'hmmm'? Is something wrong?"

"I'm just amazed how much cybernetics are inside your body?" Chakwas replied calmly

"You expected me to be some sort of robot?" I frowned.

"Not at all Commander. I'm just admiring the work Cerberus did on you. To revive you as a shell is one thing but to revive you just like you were before is...amazing."

"Well you should probably thank Lawson for that." I began, "She's the one responsible for this. She spent two years of her life bringing me back."

"You don't sound particularly happy." She began stitching a two inch cut on my right abdomen.

I sigh deeply as I looked towards Miranda's office. "I don't deserve this, being alive I mean. Shepard would have done fine without me. Why do I get special treatment? Why, of the billions of people, do _I_ get revived? I wont say that I'm not grateful but..." I sighed once more. "Nobody should waste two years on me. Especially somebody as smart as Miranda."

"I assume this is that same Miranda that you were attached with while we were on the original Normandy?" She asked and I nodded. "She's a very beautiful woman."

I smiled and nodded. "She is." I said softly, "Among other things." My thoughts drifted to the one morning at her apartment on the Citadel a few years ago.

_"Charlie?" _

_It was early in the morning and I had decided to make breakfast. Shepard ordered a nicely deserved shore leave for two days and I took it upon myself to break into Miranda's apartment. I turned around and looked at her and smiled. Her hair suffered of 'waking up syndrome' and she still looked beautiful. She wore a black silk robe that went down to her upper thighs, exposing those long, perfect legs of hers that I loved. _

_"What are you doing here?" she asked._

_"Morning sweetheart. Just making breakfast, have a seat." I poured a cup of coffee and offered it to her. "Coffee?" Miranda smiled and gladly took it from my grasp. Her fingers barely grazing mine and I shivered at her warm touch._

_"Thank you." She smiled as she blew at the hot liquid before taking a sip, her eyes closing in delight. "This is delicious! Better than the stuff I have."_

_"Glad you like it. Imported from Earth, expensive stuff but for you? I'll do anything to get what you want."_

_"You didn't have to." She said softly after taking another sip. "But thank you. So, what's for breakfast?" she asked with a toothy smile, brushing loose strands of hair behind her ear._

_"Pancakes, sausage patties and scrambled eggs. Hope you don't mind."_

_"Sounds perfect...like you."_

_My cheeks began to burn at the compliment and I found it hard to stop everything and take her back to bed. After a few minutes of cooking, I began plating our food for us. I placed one plate in front of her and another beside her. I propped myself on the bar stool and sat beside her. I watched Miranda as she leaned down and took a smell of her food. "Mmm. The smell is wonderful." Miranda leaned towards me and placed a tender kiss on my lips, which I gladly returned. "Thank you." We sat and talked as we ate our food, finishing a few minutes later._

_"I'm stuffed, I can't thank you enough for the wonderful surprise." Miranda's hand began to caress my cheek. How I ever deserved you is beyond me._

_I chuckled, "Sorry but orders are orders. I wasn't going to spend some night at a hotel and wait to call you later this morning so I took initiative and broke in." I smirked._

_"Should I call C-Sec for the intrusion?" Miranda leaned closer and I shook my head._

_"I doubt that's necessary." I played along. "Afterall, I'm a spectre and C-Sec can't touch me."_

_"Oh? Aren't you cocky."_

_I leaned into Miranda ear and whispered, "I don't see you complaining." The smell of lavender drove me over the edge and I began my assault on her lips. Miranda moaned in contempt and I lifted her by her legs and sat her on the counter, moving the plates aside. "God I've missed you."_

_"So I see." Miranda said between kisses. "Take me to bed." Miri purred in my ear._

_I broke away from the kiss and arched my brows. "Aren't you eager Lawson." I winked and lifted her once more and walked towards her bedroom. "Don't worry, we have the next forty-eight hours together and I plant to make the most of it."_

"Commander?" Chakwas brought me back to reality. I shook my head to clear my thoughts away.

"Sorry doc, I'm alright. Am I cleared?" I asked, hopeful for some good news.

Chakwas nodded and smiled. "Just try to be careful next time. I'll be running out of supplies if you continue this." I rolled my eyes but laughed.

"Be sure to tell Shepard that as well. She is just as bad as I am with taking care of our bodies. I'll try doc." I smiled once more and made my exit and walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. Pancakes, sausage links and eggs. I set up a tray and placed two plates on top of it once the food was on them. I pour coffee over two mugs and made my way to Miranda's office.

Miranda looked up from her datapad with a surprised look on her face. I made my way towards the back and placed the tray on the coffee table. Miranda swiveled her chair to face me. "What's this?" She asked curiously as she stood and walked towards the sofa and sat beside me.

"Just to make up for the Jack situation." I paused as I looked into her eyes. "And so we don't have to fight." Miranda smiled and nodded, leaning forward to smell her plate in front of her.

"Smells like that time you broke into my apartment."

"I'm glad you remember." I smiled and I handed her the cup of coffee. "Must have been the mind-blowing sex we had afterwards." I winked, causing Miri's cheeks turn to a bright shade of pink.

"I appreciate this. You're very sweet. As for the talk about Jack. I think I can forgive you for now." Miranda and I shared smiles and we began to dig into our breakfast.

"Good. Oh and unlike last time I made this for you, there won't be mind blowing sex for dessert." I smirked once more, causing Miranda to chuckle adorably.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. **

**Next chapter will be some settling down and Horizon. Not exactly sure when that chapter will be published. I will probably spend some extra time writing the next chapter.**

**Please leave a review and Favorite, subscribe and follow me and my story/stories.**

**Thanks to those that have done so, I appreciate the love**

**Until next time! :)**


	7. Horizon

**Here we are!**

**My biggest chapter yet!**

**I kinda wanted to split this into two chapters but I decided against it.**

**I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Humor, friendship, action, hurt, _and _love are in this chapter so I think there is a little bit for everyone :)**

**EDIT: 1/10/12: Wrote a more in depth fight with Grunt and Charlie versus Harbinger. A few extra lines between the squads, in Shepard's flashback and Ashley and Charlie's fight**

**See you on the other side!**

* * *

Horizon

**November 4, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Commander Alonso - 1200 hours**

_Time to make my rounds I guess._ I climbed out of the elevator and into the CIC and noticed Shepard was talking with my Yeoman. "Jane." I nodded and she returned it with a smile. I looked at Kelly with caution as I looked around for Miranda. "Hey Kelly, anything new?"

"Nothing at the moment. The crew seems very healthy." Kelly smiled, "Is Something wrong? Anything I can do for you Commander?" The redhead replied.

_Oh you know... I keep waking every night in a cold sweat. No big deal._ "I'm fine." I forced myself to smile, only being able to fool Kelly as Shepard looked at me with furrowed brows and worrying eyes. I ignored Jane's looked at turned towards her. "What are you doing up here?"

"I can go where I want, _Commander._ I was just talking with Kelly."

"Should I tell Liara you're cheating on her?" I crossed my arms with a smirk. Jane's body stiffened and looked down but soon regained her composure.

"You don't know Commander?" Kelly asked. _I don't know what exactly..._ "Oh! You don't! I'm sorry, forget I said anything." I arched an eyebrow but neither woman said anything. I huffed in frustration and turned to face Jane with a glare.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" I asked in a brotherly tone.

Jane began to rub the back of her neck and refused to look into my eyes and began rambling. "Well when you- I was going to tell- Kelly was just...I should go." Jane turned heels and walked towards the elevator in a hurry in attempts to lose me. I quickly followed and saw that the door began to close quickly. I reached for the door with my arm, causing a near bone crushing bite on my arm.

"Damn it!" I winced in pain as I held my arm once the doors opened fully. Jane and Kelly went over and knelt beside me.

"I'm so sorry!" Jane began rubbing her hands on my arm which didn't help. "Come on, let's go see Chakwas."

By the time, I was seated on one of the cots in the med bay; a large rectangular bruise appeared on my arm. Chakwas came over and applied an ice patch which immediately soothed the throbbing pain. "Oh good, he'll be fine right doctor? Okay, I'll be going now." Jane rushed out of the med bay and walked towards the crew's quarters. I sighed as I let Chakwas administer the patch around the bruised spot on my arm.

"Something wrong Charles?" Chakwas asked with worry in her voice.

I simply shrugged my shoulders. I was silent for a long time, trying to think what I said for Jane to act so weird. "I have no idea. One minute I was joking with Shepard and the next she was acting all weird. Something is up." I sighed, shaking my head. "Am I cleared?" The doctor nodded and I gave her my thanks and made my way to search for Shepard.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Shepard's Quarters - Commander Shepard - 1215 hours**

I heard a knock on my door and I wiped my tears away. "Jane, are you in there?" Charlie continued to knock on my door. "Can you please open the door? I just want to talk."

_Just go away...please! _"Can you come back later? I...I just need to be alone for awhile." I said between sniffs. _I can't let you see me like this. I can't talk to you about Liara. _

"Jane...please." Charlie said soft enough so his voice could barely be heard through my side. "Let me in." I refused to respond. "Alright," Charlie sighed, "I'll leave you alone." I sat up on my bed in confusion. _What? No!_ I swung my legs over my bed and rushed to my door and unlocked it. The door opened and Charlie stood there with a grin on his face. _I fell for his trap! _I huffed and turned around in anger and flopped myself on the bed with my arms crossed. "I should've known."

Charlie chuckled and laughed, grabbing the chair from my desk and sat in front of me. "Sorry." Charlie's face instantly turned serious, reaching for my hands and held them, squeezing gently. "What's going on?" I looked away, tears falling no matter how hard I try to remain calm. "Jane how long have we known each other?"

"Ten years." The tears caused me to choke as I said it.

"That's right. Talk to me Jane. Don't push me away."

_Liara and I are done._ "I'm just happy you're here." I said.

"You and I both know that's not it." Charlie remained calm and patient, something he didn't do often...only with me..._sometimes,_ I said to myself.

"Liara..." I began, more tears came through and I began sobbing as soon as I said the first syllable to her name. Charlie released my hands and held me instead, causing me to cry even more.

"You two aren't together...are you." Charlie said softly. All I could do is shake my head and hold him tighter. "Shhh." He cooed as he brushed my hair. "It's okay." He repeated, starting to rock us back and forth. I could only shake my head.

"It's not okay." I said a minute later. "I ruined everything."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked soflty, still rocking me and brushing my hair. By this time, I controlled my breathing and I looked up to his hazel eyes and nodded.

I breathed deeply and I began to talk. "After we got rescued and arrived at the Citadel, I had locked myself away to weep for you. I was devastated for days. After your funeral ceremony, Liara and I traveled to her apartment on Illium. Liara wanted to meld with me one night after waking up from a nightmare. After the meld...we got into a fight-"

_"Y-you blame me?" Liara's eyes turned to her normal shade of blue and tears flew down her cheeks. During the meld, I relived the final moments on board the Normandy, watching the door to the escape pod close, leaving Charlie behind. Liara looked at me with shock after feeling anger inside my core. "You blame me for the Commander's death?"_

_My skin turned pale and my body began to shiver. 'I shared too much!' I said, to myself as I watched Liara's lips formed a frown, her bottom lip quivering with sadness. I shouldn't have shared anything at all! "N-no! I don't!" I said hesitantly, lying to the girl of my dreams._

_"How __dare __you!" Liara got up from the bed and glared her eyes at me._

_"Liara, please let me explain!" I got up from the bed and reached for her._

_"Please do!" She swatted my hand away and crossed her arms across her chest._

_"I... I wasn't thinking clearly and I was-"_

_"That's always your excuse!" Liara yelled, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration._

_"Oh really?" I yelled back with the same intensity, "What would you do if you ordered someone to do a simple task and they didn't do it? All you had to do was get everyone to the fucking escape pods!"_

_"So you **do** blame me?" She glared, wanting an answer._

_I hesitated, wanting to be careful at first. Then suddenly, I didn't seem to care anymore. "Yes! I blame you. Are you happy now?! I blame you! You had one job to do!" I brought up an index finger right in front of her face, "One! You were responsible to get everyone to safety!"_

_"I see..." Liara said softly as she pointed out of the room. "Get out." She said softly, in almost a husky and hurt whisper._

_'What?' I said to myself. 'Out as in out of the room or... No, I should probably apologize.' "Liara I-" I reached out to her but she stepped back and looked at me with disgust._

_"Get out of my life Shepard... I... I-I don't want to see you again...ever." My heart is being torn into pieces, and it's my fault._

_"Liara I'm sorry..." I dropped to my knees, begging for forgiveness. My eyesight began to blur from the tears. "Babe please don't make me leave. I didn't mean it." But Liara ignored me and made her way downstairs to her terminal. I got up and followed closeby, only to be placed in stasis by Liara as she typed away. As I stood still, watching Liara and the flames around her as she typed in something on her terminal. It wasn't til moments later when she turned around and walked towards me, removing me from my paralysis._

_"I have called a skycab that will take you to the Nos Astra spaceport. You will be travel to the Citadel and you will leave me alone. You will pack your belongings and will wait for the cab to arrive. I don't want to see you ever again." Liara looked away at me. The sunset of Illium's skies were illuminating the tears that were trailing down her blue skin. "You broke my heart Shepard."_

_'No! I can't do this without you! I need you!' __I said to myself. '__I don't know how I can live on anymore. Charlie is dead and the one person that matters most to me hates me.' __"Liara..." I reached out once more, only to have my hand swatted away once more._

_"Don't Shepard..." Liara looked at me with biotic fists at her sides. "for both of our sakes. Just...Just go. It's over."_

"I lost her that night." I sobbed as I cuddled next to Charlie in my bed. He held me tighter, if it was ever possible, as I told him the worst chapter of my life without him and Liara. "I...I cried for days, weeks...hell even months...years. I regret ever melding with her that night. I shouldn't have done it. I miss her so much. I want to tell her how much I miss her and how much I love her. I just..." Tears began to flow once more. "I just!"

Charlie began rocking me again in his strong arms. He kissed my forehead just like he used to when we were teenagers. "We'll find her. I promise."

"Really?" I said between sniffs, wiping my tears on his Cerberus shirt.

"Really." Charlie said calmly and pulled away, running his fingers along my chin and wiping a few stray tears on my cheek. "Nobody breaks up with my Shepard." He smiled and I chuckled as I leaned closer to hug him.

"What would I do without you." I said softly after sharing a comfortable silence together.

"Commander!" Joker's voice came through the comm.

"Ugh, what is it?" Charlie asked annoyed.

"The Illusive Man wants to speak to you."

"Great." Charlie said sarcastically with a huffing sigh. "I'll be right there."

"Copy that."

Charlie sighed and looked into my eyes and smiled. "Duty calls. We'll find Liara Jane. We'll get this sorted out once I find out what the hell the Cerberus asshole wants."

"Want me to come with you?" I asked and Charlie nodded. I smiled and got up and followed him towards the elevator.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso - 1245 hours**

I rolled my eyes at the egomaniac in front of Shepard and me. The Illusive Man, must like the previous meeting, sat in his "throne", drinking his scotch and soon began lighting up one of his endless supplies of cigars. _I hope he dies because of it._

"Commander," He noticed Shepard but ignored her presence and focus his attention solely on me. "I think we have them. Horizon, a human colony has just gone dark." _Ah so you are actually useful._ "Has Mordin come up for a cure for the seeker swarms?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I was about to go talk to him." I responded while TIM inhaled his cigarette.

"I see. In any case, let's hope he can work under pressure. We can't let this opportunity to slip past us." I nodded in agreement. TIM drew his attention towards Shepard and asked. "Commander Shepard, if you would please."

"Yes?" She asked, confused but the request.

I chuckled and looked at her with a lopsided smile. "I think he wants you to go and talk to Mordin and see if he has the cure. For being a leader of a terrorist organization, he really should be more clear on his sentences."

"Ohhh, okay. I'll go do that." Shepard played along and left the room with a smirk on her face.

TIM glared his shiny blue eyes at our banter. "You may think this childish humor is funny but we don't have time for it."

"Yeah, yeah whatever TIM. Anything else?" I asked, clearly bored out of my mind.

"There is actually." The tailor-suited man took a sip from his drink and continued. "One of your old teammates, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams has been sighted at Horizon."

My heart skipped a beat and smiled with excitement internally. _Ashley? My Ashley is on Horizon! Thank God! Oh...Oh god I should probably shave! This beard has been killing me. Probably wear some cologne and trim my haircut. Yes. I'll do that._ I noticed TIM staring at me and I recovered myself from my internal rambling. "Oh ummm...Yes, the Gunnery Chief? Yes. I-" I cleared my throat and sighed internally. _Smooth Charlie. _"Why is she there? She's a part of the Alliance and last time I checked, Horizon is in the Terminus systems."

"Correct but officially, the Alliance has begun an outreach program to improve relations with human colonies in the Terminus systems."

"I see..." I said softly, thinking. _Why are you here Ash? Not that I'm complaining but why? Is that why you haven't responded with my messages? I can't wait to see you and bring you on my team. God knows how much I need you here by my side. _"Send me the coordinates. We'll head straight there."

"I've already sent them to your pilot. Good luck Alonso. This is the most warning we've ever had. I trust you can get the job done."

**Horizon Orbit - SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso - 1700 hours**

After talking with Mordin and Shepard on the cure, I had just finished my rounds talking with my crew and instructed everyone to come into pre-mission briefing.

"So," Jack began, leaning on the wall with her arms crossed. "We're going to horizon to kill some bugs? That's cool."

"I'm hoping for a good fight!" Grunt pounded his fists together.

"Alright settled down." I began, pacing slowly back and forth. "I want everyone down on the ground on this one. We'll split into two teams and investigate the colony. We'll cover a lot more ground that way. Shepard," I drew my attention to my best friend and gave a smile just for her. "You'll lead team one which consists of Garrus, Jack, Zaeed and Mordin."

Jane saluted and smiled. "You got it."

"I'll take Lawson, Grunt, and Amanda." The three nodded respectfully and I continued, pulling up the colony's schematics on the hologram in the middle of the conference table. "Team one will enter from the north side of the colony while we come from the south. I want no mistakes on this. Expect the heavy resistance. Our priority is to save the colonists." _And find Ashley._ "Second is to kill and investigate the Collectors. Find out what they're up to." There was a brief moment of silence. "Any questions?"

"Are you fucking the cheerleader?" Jack asked instantly. Miranda and I stiffened and awkwardly cleared our throats, causing the tattooed woman to laugh hysterically.

"Uhh...dismissed!" I announced.

"Dumbasses." Jack walked out with a grin on her face.

"I'm going to kill her." Miranda glared at the door after everyone walked out.

"She's getting under your skin already? My my, you really are the Ice Qu-"

"Shut it." Miranda glared her steel-blue eyes at me.

**Twenty minutes later...**

**Horizon - Team One - Commander Alonso**

"That ship is massive!" Amanda expressed in awe as Grunt, Miranda, Sturridge and I looked up at the large hive-looking ship. There were, what appeared to be, flames coming from the top of the ship. The overcast weather further made the ship look menacing.

"You seeing what I'm seeing?" Shepard asked from the comm.

"Yeah, be careful out there Jane." I reply.

"Don't worry. Garrus will protect me." Jane replied.

"Yeah uh...you're on your own Shepard." Garrus replied.

"Wow, you guys sound like bunch of pussies." Jack sighed.

"Love you too Jack." Jane, Garrus and I said in unison.

"Fuck the three of you."

"Yeah...thanks for the offer Jack but...no." I say over the comms.

"Screw you Charlie!" Jack snarls.

I laughed and changed the topic. "So, Mordin." I contacted the salarian through the earpiece. "You sure these armor upgrades will protect us from the seeker swarms?"

"Certainty impossible. In limited numbers, should confuse detection. May be invisible to swarms...In theory."

"In theory?" Miranda and I said in unison. "That doesn't sound good." Miranda finished.

"Experemental technology! Only test is contact with seeker swarms. Look forward to see if we survive." The conversation between us ended and now I regret asking.

"Great." Amanda said sarcastically.

"Well, I kinda feel sorry for Jack. She doesn't even wear armor." I said, causing Miranda to smile.

"Fuck you Charlie." I could feel Jack snarling through the comm and I couldn't help but smirk.

Suddenly, I heard a weird noise coming from above us. "What the fuck is that?" With further inspection, I pulled out my shotgun. "Collectors! Take cover!"

"Charlie we've run into Collectors." Jane came over the comm.

"They're over here too. Keep focused."

"Copy that." Jane's voice disappeared and I continued to focus on a baddie who hid behind cover. I switched to my pistol and sprinted to the other side of the Collector Drone. I could hear a crickling noise near me. I stepped back from cover and slid towards the collector and shot him with my incendiary modded pistol, disintegrating him. _Well that wasn't so hard._

I smirked as I jumped up and switched once more to my shotgun and jumped over the barrier, meeting Miranda halfway and threw a singularity lazily above a collector, followed by Miranda's warp."Night, night!" I smirked and looked at Miri in sideways glace.

"Enemy down!" Amanda confirmed as she dug a knife into a Drone.

Grunt roared proudly as he charged at a sniper. "I AM KROGAN!" The Collector attempted to scurry away but the silver-armored Krogan held him down with one boot and crushed the insect looking enemy with the other.

"Impressive." Miranda's thin brows shot up as we looked at the yellow blood splatter all over the ground.

"Still having second thought Lawson?" I smirk as we see the Krogan digging his Claymore shotgun under another Collector and pulling the trigger. Shortly after I heard him laughing lowly as more blood splashes all over the Krogan.

Miranda warped a Collector the popped his head over the side railing of a truck, while answering, "Not anymore!"

I pulled a sniper from out of cover on the left side. Amanda followed it my launching a knife between the Collector's first set of eyes.

"Commanders we ar-...-tin... -ference. Can't ke-... -tion" Joker attempted through the comm.

_Well that can't be good._ I tried to reach Shepard. "Jane do you read me? I repeat, Do you copy?"

No response.

"Jane, I say again, do you copy?"

Nothing.

"Damn it!" I sighed. _Things can't get any worse._ "Looks like we are on our own. Shepard and the rest can handle themselves. Let's keep going."

"Right!" Amanda and Grunt piped in.

"Right behind you." Miri said softly.

"Enemies up ahead!" Grunt grunted in laughter, ready for another fight.

More Collectors glided down from their jetpacks and along with enemies that are all too familiar.

"Husks!" I yelled out as I killed three weakened Collectors with shotgun rounds as Miranda and Grunt disposed of the rest of the Collector troops. "Amanda, with me!" I pulled out my knifes and teamed up with the young engineer and killed the indoctrinated humans with combinations of fists and knifes to the face.

"Just as I feared." I said after the squad regrouped with me as I twisted my knife inside the husk's mouth. "We haven't seen any dragon's teeth since we've arrived. The Collectors must have brought these husks with them. The geth used similar husks but I know they got them from Sovereign. The Collectors _are_ working for the Reapers."

"This just got even more complicated." Miranda spoke.

"Come on, this colony is still under attack. Let's hurry."

"Yes sir."

"THE FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE BEND TO ME."

"The hell was that?" Amanda asked with a worried look on her face.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Whatever it is can't be good."

**Minutes later...**

**Horizon - Team One - Commander Shepard - 1745**

"ASSUMING CONTROL!"

"Oh come on!" Garrus protested as he stood behind a wall. "I almost killed the bastard."

"I thought you liked killing enemies, Garrus." I smirked as I took cover beside him.

"Not when you waste an entire clip on him, only to turn into that thing."

"It can be shot you know!"

"Both of you SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Jack said as she angrily threw a shockwave at..._Harbinger? _causing him to stumble.

"Take em down!" I ordered and the squad obeyed and the possessed Collector disintegrated.

"He's a tough son of a bitch." Zaeed commented and Garrus nodded in agreement.

"Shepard do you copy?" Charlie's voice came through my earpiece. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god! I copy but your voice is a little low."

"I see...well, we just ran into a lone colonists hiding in a generator room. Apparently, Ash is here because they installed the giant gun out in the distance."

_What gun?_ I looked out and saw two Guardian gun in the center of the colony. _Oh...those guns._

"Those Guardian guns have enough firepower to take out that Collector ship but..." Charlie began.

"It's offline?" I asked.

"Even better, the targeting computer doesn't work." Charlie chuckled.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "That's the Alliance for you."

"Tell me about it." Charlie commented, sighing with exasperation. "We are on our way to the center of the colony to try and activate the targeting computer and send these collectors to hell. Find any colonists?"

"We found some but they appear to be in some sort of stasis field, bitten by the seeker swarms."

"We ran into some empty pods on our side. No colonists." There was a long pause. "What the..."

"What is it?" I asked worryingly.

"Gotta go." Charlie responded quickly. I could hear gunfire and a thundering moan. _What was that?_

"Charlie? Do you cop-"

"Shepard!" Mordin called out.

"Yes?" I asked as moved towards him. "What?" I asked as I turned to face ahead of me. I froze and looked and the large bulbous looking creature moaning and launching a shockwave towards us. There was a large sack on its back and its head off-centered growing on the right shoulder. "MOVE!" The squad moved to cover.

"The fuck is that thing!" Jack yelled out.

"Whatever it is, we gotta kill it." Zaeed began taking shots at the grotesque human-looking enemy.

"Agreed! Creates large mass effect fields!" Mordin began. "Strong armor. Could be very...problematic"

"Commander, those are scions." Miranda explained thought the earpiece while my team began killing the scion. "They are indoctrinated humans. Three husks fused together. Reports say they travel in pairs or alone. They use a biotic cannon that create shockwaves much like Jack's power so keep your distance."

"We've just finished cleaning up." Charlie interrupted a few moments after the scion's head exploded. "We are just outside the center of the colony. Amanda is bypassing the lock on the blast door. Hang on..." There was a long pause. "We're in. The place is just as deserted. Trucks and cargo boxes are all over the place. I've got a bad feeling about this place. You guys better hurry."

"You heard him." I reloaded my mantis sniper rifle. "Let's get going."

**Horizon - Team Two - Commander Alonso - 1800 hours**

"EDI." I called the Normandy. "Think you can help us out on this?"

"Of course. The errors in calibration are easily rectified but it will take time. I suggest you ready your weapons. Enemy reinforcements approaching."

As if on cue, Collectors, Husks and Scions dropped down from the sky.

"ASSUMING CONTROL"

"Son of a bitch!" I stomped the ground. _Can I ever catch a break? _"Grunt, help me out with Harbinger. The rest of you, take out the husks. Then we take out the scions together. Keep moving."

"FACE YOUR ANNIHILATION!"

_Fuck off you stupid cockroach! _"Let's kill him."

Grunt fired a concussive shot that threw Harbinger to the far wall, firing his Vindicator rifle. I flared my biotics, warping the weakened Collector. Harbinger countered by throwing a dark biotic mass effect field. Grunt was able to jump sideways to avoid it. I was, however, unfortunate as the biotic energy caused me to stumble then once more as I got hit by a Scion's shockwave. In anger, I flared my biotics and threw a throw that sailed Harbinger into a large stack of cargo boxes.

"PITIFUL!" Harbinger got up and the possessed Collector launched another ball. "THIS IS TRUE POWER."

I saw it coming and was easily able to roll out towards the right to safety. I placed Harbinger in stasis before biotically charging him, causing him to explode.

"Good work." I look towards Grunt who nods. "Now let's go take care of these scions." Grunt switched to his shotgun and slowly but surely took down one of the two scions. The other began throwing shockwaves one after the other, almost in a rage, at my squad. "Get to cover!" I ordered. I ran up towards a few steps to the side of the area. I popped my head up and took some shots at the lone scion. Then all of a sudden, more enemies dropped from the sky. Some were already taking aim at Miranda. _No!_

"AHH!" Miranda cried in pain and fell the ground, clutching her leg. _Damn it!_ I flared my biotics and surrounded myself in a barrier and ran towards her, killing the Collector that shot her. "It hurts." She whimpered as I knelt beside her.

"Can you stand?" I asked and Miranda shook her head. "Alright, hang on." I gently wrapped one hand on the small of her back while the other under her legs and carried her back to where Amanda and Grunt were.

"Cover us." I took out the medigel and administered it on her wound. Miranda winced in pain as I gently applied medi gel on the wound. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you." She said softly after finishing up the wound.

I smiled and nodded. "Anytime sweetheart." I winked at the Raven-haired brunette. I picked up her SMG and gave it to her. "Let's get rid of these assholes." Miranda nodded and together, we popped up and helped Grunt and Amanda take out the remaining wave of enemies.

"Uhh, we've got a big guy coming in!" Amanda warned as a large, four legged Collector construct was flying towards us. Seconds later, the creature landed on the ground with a gut-wrenching squeal.

"Heh heh." Grunt chuckled, "This is why I follow you Commander. Big things!"

I laughed nervously as I reloaded my shotgun. "We've got to be careful with him he looks..."

"-unfriendly." Miranda finished and I nodded.

"Don't worry Charlie we got this!" Jane's voice came through the comm and the large blast door on the other side opened and Jane with the rest of her team came in guns blazing. _Oh thank god!_

"Let's help them out shall we?" My team nodded and helped Jane and the rest of the team. The large Collector squealed as purple fluid flew out from the creature.

"Weapons are online." EDI began, "I have control. Firing Guardian turrets." Seconds later, the turrets came online and began shooting at the large Collector ship that still remained docked.

Eventually, the bug desperately released a blue particle beam that I had to dodge out of the way before it turned to ash.

"Everyone okay?" I said between huffs as I sat in the ground.

"I got that last kill." Garrus came over and extended his hand which I gladly took. "So that makes it...eighty."

"Not bad, Vakarian. You beat me this time." Jane patted the Turian's back.

"I got eighty as well." I said with a proud smile. The moment got interrupted by a large quake as the Collector ship began to fire its thrusters and began floating away.

"No!" The lone colonist ran towards us, shoving me aside. "Don't let em get away!"

Jane stepped forward and touched the man's shoulder. "I am sorry but there is nothing we can do."

"Half the colony is there! They took Eagan, Sam and Lilith! Do something." The man begged.

I lowered my head. "I'm sorry sir. We didn't want it to end this way."

"More than most Alonso." Garrus reassured, sounding sad.

"Alonso?" The man stopped and turned to face me. "Wait...I know that name. You're some Alliance asshat right?"

"Commander Alonso, One half of the first human Spectres. Savior of the Citadel." A familiar voice came from the shadows. Seconds later, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams approached us. My heart jumped for joy. If it weren't for the rest of the squad here, I would run to her and tackle her. Ashley turned to colonist and crossed her arms. "You're in a presence of a god. Back from the dead."

"Of all the good people we lost, you get left behind. Figures. Fuck this bullshit. I'm out of here." The colonists huffed and walked away, leaving Ashley standing there. "Charlie." She sighed with a smile and walked towards me. I did the same until we were in arms reach. I hugged her tightly.

"Ash..." I broke the hug and caressed her cheeks before kissing the lips I have longed for. _God how I've missed you._

"I thought you were dead Charlie. We all did." She said so calmly and with husky tone in her voice; almost sounding sad.

"You don't sound happy to see me." I began massaging her shoulder. "It's me. Is something bothering you?"

Ashley tsked. "Yeah. Something _is _bothering me. I have spent the last two years mourning you; thinking you were dead. We...We had something! I...I loved you. I almost..." Ashley began to back away, turning her back towards me and her shoulders began to convulse as she started to cry. "How could you put me through that? Why didn't you contact me? Why didn't you come and find me?"

"Ash you have to understand, I spend the last two years in a coma." I inched closer and wrapped my arms around her. She didn't resist. "It wasn't my choice. As for the messaging, I've sent you messages for the past two days. I haven't gotten a reply. I've been busy with Cerberus so I couldn't find you." Ashley's body stiffened under my touch and pushed herself away. She turned to face me and looked over my shoulder.

"You're with Cerberus? Garrus, Amanda and Skipper...too? I..." Ashley took two steps backward in disbelief. "I can't believe the reports were right."

"Reports?" Shepard tilted her head in confusion.

"-You mean you already knew?" Garrus finished.

"I received intel that Cerberus was behind the missing colonists and that Horizon was going to be the next colony to get hit. I went to try to talk to Anderson but he wouldn't talk. There were rumors that you were working with the enemy."

_Wait a minute!_ I crossed my arms and furrowed my brows. "So the Alliance sent you to spy on me. This whole thing with the defense turret was just a cover up?"

"I was sent to investigate Cerberus! Not you!" Ashley spat back. "I wanted to believe you were alive! I just...I just never expected this. How could you just turn your back on all of us! You betrayed the Alliance, Anderson! You betrayed me!"

I gasped at her words. I shook my head. _I would never! How could you call me that! _"Ash you know me." I reached out to grab her, only to have my hand swatted away. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

"Don't 'Ash' me! I know better!" Glared her chocolate brown eyes at me and I felt my heart slowly being squeezed. I tried to speak but I simply froze. Everything I wanted was falling apart.

"Chief, Charlie wouldn't do this if it weren't for the right reason." Shepard spoke for me. "You've seen it firsthand! The Collectors are working for the Reapers!"

"I wish I could believe you skipper." Ashley looked over my shoulder. "But I don't trust Cerberus." She looked back at me with a hateful glare. "And I hate that you do! What did they do to you Charlie? What if they are behind it?" She said incredulously, "What if they are working for the Collectors!"

Miranda scoffed behind me. "Typical Alliance attitude. So focused on Cerberus that they don't see the big picture." I whipped my head back at her with a glare. Miranda stayed quiet.

"Fuck off you Cerberus bitch. Who the fuck asked you for your opinion?" Ashley spoke. _Well I'm glad she doesn't know who she is or else this thing could get out of hand really quick._

"Ashley you gotta believe us." I pleaded.

"Believe you? How can I? You're working with Cerberus! The enemy! Don't you remember what they did to Kahoku? They injected him with rachni poison! They tortured him!"

"Come with us. We could use your help to help stop the Reapers." Garrus offered.

"No." Ashley shook her head, "I could never work for Cerberus."

"I see you won't listen to reason." I frowned.

Ashley slapped me hard across the face. "You show up after two years to tell me you are working for Cerberus! Sounds like you left reason behind a long time ago. Doesn't matter, I still know where _my_ loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance soldier. Always will be. _It's in my blood!_ I'm reporting you to the Citadel, see if they believe your story." Ashley turned her heals and slowly began walking away.

_No! _

"You know what?" I snapped in anger.

"-Charlie don't." Shepard pleaded.

"Shut up Shepard." I turned my head to face Jane with a glare, before turning back to Ashley who simply kept walking away.

"HEY!" I cry out but she continued walking. "HEY YOU! ALLIANCE WHORE!" Ashley froze but didn't turn. "That's right! I'm talk to you! Colonies are disappearing! The Alliance and Council aren't doing ANYTHING! Cerberus brought me back to life to put an end to it and suddenly _I _am the one who left reason? How dare you judge me! I spent every waking moment thinking that you would be joining me, fighting with me. BY MY SIDE!" I poured everything I had in me, causing tears to fall down my face. "And here you are telling me to fuck off? I thought there was something between us, that we would grow old together or at least die trying. Now the only thing that is stopping that from happening is your 'loyalties'? FUCK YOUR LOYALTIES!"

"Charlie stop." Jane began, only to be placed in my stasis by me.

I continued to yell at the one girl who I thought loved me, then I realized she was just like every other person: A person that puts me on a mantle and calls me a 'hero'. I'm anything but. "You can go back to your precious Alliance. I don't even fucking care anymore. Garrus, Shepard, Amanda and I will do this without you and go save the galaxy...AGAIN while you, the Alliance and the rest of the Council sit on their asses!" I turned away in fury, only to stop and face her once more. "Oh and by the way: Whatever we had once? Yeah, you can kiss that goodbye. You ruined everything! I hate you!" I placed a finger on my earpiece. "Joker! Send in the fucking shuttles. I've had enough of this Alliance bitch and this fucking colony."

The shuttle ride was silent but I didn't care. I was furious. _How could she do that to us! I thought she loved me. _I clenched my fists in anger as the shuttle landed on the Normandy's docking bay. Jack was trying to be the first one out but I flared my biotics, causing her to jump and step away. "What the fuck!"

"Go cry me a river Jack." I stepped out of the shuttle in fury. "Jane, you take point! I need a drink to get rid that whore's tongue in my mouth."

**SSV Normandy - XO's Office - Operative Lawson - 1845 hours**

_The mission was a failure. _

_The Collectors retreated with a third of the planet's population. We ran into Harbinger, whom I assume is the leader of the Collectors. He is expressing a great deal of interest in both Commanders Alonso and Shepard. I have no inconclusive evidence however, given our data we have received from Freedom's Progress, I can assume that Harbinger wants both Commanders to serve under him as slaves to be used by the Reapers._

_We have also ran into husks, giving further evidence that the Collectors are working for the Reapers._

_Harbinger is able to possess control of his minions. Not sure how that is possible and there is no way we can study it. Once the possessed Collector is destroyed, the animated body disintegrates._

_Chief Williams was also present on the colony. Commander Alonso and the Chief got into an argument which has left the Commander troubled._

_I request teams to travel here and collect any salvageable data from the Collectors._

_- Operative Lawson_

I sent my report The Illusive Man. I began to stand up and felt the throbbing pain return on my leg. _Damn it!_ I sighed and made my way towards the med bay.

"Ah, back again Miss Lawson?" Chakwas smiled as I sat myself on the bed. "The Commander's lack of well being seems to have infected you too."

I bit my lip and blushed. "I wasn't paying attention. The Collectors were swarming all around us and their particle beam grazed my leg."

The doctor chuckled. "No need to explain yourself." Chakwas began scanning my leg. "Well, there's isn't significant damage. Did the Commander patch you up?" I nodded in reply. "I see a pattern." Doctor Chakwas smirked which caused me to blush.

"Are we done here?" I asked nervously and the doctor nodded and I began to dash out of the med bay. I stopped halfway towards my office. "EDI, where's Commander Alonso?"

"Commander Alonso is in his quarters. He is currently trying to get inebriated."

_Damn it!_ I quickly stormed into the elevator, only to be met by Shepard.

"Miranda." She nodded curtly. "Where are you heading?"

"To see the Commander. He's trying to get drunk."

"I think he should be left alone." She leaned on the wall, crossing her arms.

"I think otherwise. He needs someone to be there for him." I retorted.

"And _you_ think you're that someone?" She asked.

"Is there a problem Shepard?" I glared my eyes at the woman who has been in Charlie's life since he was a late teenager.

She shook her head. "Nope! I just find it weird that an ex going to console his ex boyfriend. It should be my job."

"Not going to happen." I began, "I'm the XO of this ship and it's my job to help the Commander where necessary."

We stared down each other as we waited for the elevator to stock at the crew deck. The door opened and Shepard conceded. "Fine. Just be careful with him." She smiled and gently pushed me into the elevator. Shepard gave me a wink and the door closed in front of us. _Well that went well._

I turned around and straightened myself before pushing the button to take me to the Captain's Cabin. Once the elevator door opened and stepped towards the door, I knocked on it. "Commander?"

"Go away!"

"I just want to talk." I pleaded, knocking softly once more. "Please?"

Charlie groaned and unlocked the door and I slowly walked in. "You okay?" I asked.

"What does it look like!" Charlie spat and walked deeper into his room, sitting down on his 'L' shaped sofa. "I can't believe what just happened." Charlie sat softly, watching him intently. "I thought I was _something _to her!" Charlie broke into tears. I walked around the coffee table and sat beside him.

Charlie refilled his glass of tequila and poured some in another glass and handed it to me. I took it but I didn't drink it. I watched as Charlie down his glass in one gulp before looking at me. "Drink." I looked down at the filled up glass and gulped it down as well, feeling the burn and immediately regretting drinking it. "Good girl." Charlie smirked and refilled both glasses.

"You know," he spoke softly as he looked down at his glass. "I used to be able to drink one whole bottle and be trashed...This is my third bottle and I barely have a buzz. I should probably thank you for the implants."

"If you want me to change-"

"No it's fine." Charlie smiled and grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. "I don't want to forget the hurt Ashley caused me. I want to carry it until the day I die." I looked into his hazel eyes and I felt heartbroken by his words. I wish I could make him forget her.

_That bitch will pay for this!_

"Can I hug you?" He asked and I nodded. Charlie smiled and scooted over and held me tenderly in his arms. Charlie's fingers trailed up and down my spine that caused my hair on the back of my neck to stand on its toes. Charlie broke the embrace but was still close to me. "I also don't want to forget this..."

_Wh-what?_

Charlie reached up to my cheeks and planted a kiss on my lips. I gasped as I initially tried to break away but the hunger inside me let this happened and soon, I returned the kiss. Before I knew it, I began to straddle him while Charlie ran his hands all over me.

"What about what you said earlier?" I asked after breaking the kiss.

"Fuck what I said earlier. I want this." Charlie pulled a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "I want you."

I smiled with glee and I attacked him once more. I felt his hands grab my thighs and pick me up, guiding us towards his bed. I sauntered seductively up the bed as I watched Charlie crawl into bed after me. I reached over and began removing his shirt.

"Still trying to keep control Lawson?" Charlie whispered in my ear.

I smirked and whispered back. "Still impatient Commander?"

"You know it." Charlie smirked and found the zipper to my suit.

"Allow me." I removed his hand and I slowly slid down the zipper, exposing my black lace bra. "How bad do you want me?" I bit the bottom of my lip as I watched Charlie's eyes roam my body.

"Very." Charlie slipped off my suit and threw it behind him.

"I'm yours...if you want it."

Charlie smiled and began removing the remainder of his clothes. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

**:O**

**Miranda lovers rejoice! Though the two love birds aren't out of the woods yet.**

** Next mission will be the recruitment of the cheerful Japanese Thief Kasumi Goto and the acquisitions of various loyalty missions.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I want to thank Bluemarlin for the latest review. I appreciate the love.**

**Leave a review to let me know what you thought about this chapter. Any helpful criticism is appreciated.**

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**Hope you guys enjoyed Veteran's day (for the U.S readers) and thanked the Veterans in your lives. **

**Until next time :D**


	8. Meeting the Thief

**Hi everyone!**

**A quick and short chapter this time.**

**I've decided that the Kasumi Mission will be two parts. Sorry! D:**

**So without further ado, let's get one with it!**

* * *

Meeting the Thief

**November 5, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 0600 hours**

I shifted awake with a sigh of relief. _No nightmares._ I turned my head to the left and saw Miranda's naked body sleeping soundly face down, lying on her stomach. I smiled at the sight. _She's so beautiful when she's sleeping. So serene... _I adjusted my body, careful to not wake her and just watched her as she slept. My hand reached for hers and I brought it up to my lips and kissed it. Miranda began to stir from my gentle touch and began to slowly open her eyes.

"Hey." I smiled as I brushed her hair behind her ear, showing that beautiful face.

"Hey yourself." She smiled, leaning in and kissed me which I gladly returned.

"I want to ask you something."

"Of course." Miranda propped her head on her palm, looking adorably with a smile on her face.

"Is this...was this real?" Miranda's smile disappeared. I began to panic and I began talking fast. "I mean I enjoyed last night very much but then I don't want this to be a one night stand so I just wanted-" I was interrupted by Miranda's hungry kiss. _I guess this is real. _My lips formed a smile as the kiss developed minutes later into more as I found myself between her legs.

"It's too early." Miranda moaned with pleasure as her hands explored my hair.

"Exactly. Nobody is up right now and I haven't relieved Shepard of duty." I said between passionate kisses as we grinded our hips together.

"Now...you plan?." Miranda moaned, digging her nails into my back, causing me to groan. "Oh!" Miranda moaned which turned me on even more. _How did I get so lucky?_

**One hour later...**

Miranda and I breathed heavily into each other's necks. Miranda laid on top of me and searched for my lips. "We should probably get ready." She spoke minutes later. I held her tighter in response, not wanting this morning to end. The last thirteen hours has been an emotional roller coaster for me. Ashley calling me a traitor and ending things for good; Miranda comes up to my quarters when she really didn't need to. Shepard could have come up and talked to me. I was surprised when the door opened and Miranda was the one that walked in into my room. Though, I could honestly say that I couldn't complain.

Things have...gotten back to normal. Or at least as normal as it used to be. Miranda being with Cerberus is something that has been hard getting used to. I don't know if I can forgive her about her fling with Jacob but I refuse to think about that right now. I promise myself to make Miranda see the monstrous side of Cerberus...or die trying.

I tilted my head and kissed her, pulled back with a smile and a nod. "Go ahead and shower. I'll stay in bed for a bit longer." Miranda slowly slid away, leaving small kisses on my chest and stomach before standing up from the bed. The raven haired brunette turned and began swaying her hips. _I know what you're doing and it won't work!_ Miranda turned her head and smiled coquettishly before disappearing into my bathroom. _  
_

I flopped myself back on the bed, rubbing my eyes from that sexy smile of hers. I sighed in contempt, closing my eyes ever so slightly. My lips formed a grin. _Fuck it!_ I dashed out of bed and joined the woman of my dreams.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Crew Deck - Commander Shepard - 0800 hours**

I walked groggily towards the mess hall, finding Garrus, Amanda, Kenneth Donnelly, Gabriella Daniels and Joker sitting for morning breakfast.

"Morning acting captain." Amanda mocked saluted, causing me to roll my eyes but smiling nonetheless.

"Hey guys. Has Charlie come down yet?" I asked as I began getting a tray of morning slop. I sat next to Garrus, facing towards the XO's quarters.

"Not yet." Garrus dipped his fork into his amino-dextrous food.

"You guys think he's with Miss Lawson again?" Joker, who sat in front of me, grinned as he rubbed his hands together.

"Lawson was with the Commander?" Ken sat next to the pilot and stared at him with his mouth opened. "Wow! We should give him a medal for that."

"Ugh!" Gabby smacked her hand on her forehead and glared at the engineer next to him. "Men." Amanda giggled.

I turned to face Joker with a glare. "Whatever our CO does with his spare time is none of our business." I said flatly.

"Well apparently, he's doing Lawson." Joker grinned despite my glare.

"Joker!"

Joker held up his hands. "Alright, alright! I give! God, such a downer."

"Still, we should tell him to be careful." Garrus began. "Miranda can hold her own in a fight and I her admire for it but she's still Cerberus' second in command and will turn on us if given the order."

"I doubt that Garrus." Amanda defended. "I've seen how devastated she was during Lazarus Project. Whatever happened to them during our hunt for Saren hurt her. She was filled with regret. She turned even colder. I could see it in her eyes how much the breakup hurt her whenever we conversed. Plus, you've seen how they act between one another. They are mad for each other."

"Yeah and it shows." Garrus said with a hint of sarcasm. "They are at each other's throats most of the time."

Amanda waved him off. "Ah, that's how they are. I can tell these things." The young engineer smiled and went back to jab at her food.

"Morning everyone." Charlie came around the corner and stood behind me and quickly massaged my shoulders. I arched my brows and looked up at him. "I'm relieving you of duty." I nodded and watched him as he went over to grab a tray of his own. _He seems happy for once. _Charlie grabbed orange juice from the fridge and made his way towards the table, sitting next to me.

Charlie jabbed me with his elbow playfully and I returned the gesture. Moments later, Miranda came around the corner and headed into her office. I sideways glanced at Charlie who remained neutral. Miranda walked out of her office a minute later, walking over to grab a cup of coffee with a bowl of fruit and walked back towards her office after nodding at us.

"Rude." Joker mumbled under his breath.

"She smiled." Charlie defended.

"At you." The pilot replied with a mock glare.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Oh by the way." He turned to face me. "Where are we going?"

"We're at the Citadel right now." I smiled, gaining a nod from out CO.

"Oh okay perfect. I received new dossiers from The Illusive Man a few hours ago. You remember Samara right?"

I nodded. "You introduced me to her after you left the Normandy." _and after we fought. _I finished in my head. Charlie's shoulders slumped faintly, clearly thinking the same thing. He regained his composure instantly.

"She's on the list." Charlie smiled from ear to ear. "I can't wait to see and work with her again. I hope everything is going well for her. She's on Illium, or at least that's what the report say." He shrugged his shoulders. "But since we are here, there is a thief by the name of Kasumi Goto-"

"Goto? I think I have heard of her." Gabi pondered at the name. "Isn't she some sort of thief?"

"That's right." Charlie nodded. "She's somewhere on the Citadel so I'm going to go find her in a bit. While I'm out, I'll have Miranda give out some tasks for everyone to do. We need to restock with a few materials."

"Want me and Garrus to come with you?" I asked.

Charlie shook his head. "I'm fine. I'll be heading out alone this time." I gave him an all knowing look. "I'll be fine."

**Minutes later...**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Bridge - Commander Alonso**

"Going somewhere Commander?" Miranda leaned on her hip, arms crossed, watching me walking towards her. She was standing near the airlock. I stopped just at arm's reach from her.

"I'm heading out and look for Kasumi then maybe do some weapons shopping."

"Not alone you're not." She responded quickly with a glare. "As an XO and head of the Lazarus Cell, I am responsible for your well being." She explained.

A lopsided grin formed my lips. "How very thoughtful of you Miss Lawson." I said sarcastically, gaining a signature rolling of the eyes from Miranda. "Well then, if I'm stuck with you let's go." Miranda nodded and left the Normandy with me.

Out in the Zakera ward, Miranda and I walked though the large district. We hit some few shops and purchased various souvenirs like ship models for Shepard and I to build together. I also purchased different kinds of fish for my fish tank. Miranda scolded me, saying that it was a waste of credits that could be spent elsewhere. It wasn't until I bought her some books that she conceded.

We went to Cipritine Armory and bought multiple orders of: The M-27 Schimitar and M-22 Eviscerator shotguns; M-37 Falcon, M-55 Argus, M-96 Mattock and M-74 Valkarie rifles; M-9 Tempest and M-25 Hornet submachine guns; M-5 Phalanx, M-6 Carnifex and M-77 Paladin heavy pistols; M-451 Firestorm, M-490 Blackstorm, ML-77 Missile Launcher, and a M-920 Cain. Miranda shook her head and huffed as I smirked once I told her the list I bought.

"Are you done now?" She asked, annoyed at my lack of money management.

I smiled and drew her closer to me. I began kissing below her ear softly, trailing towards her chin. Miranda gasped and moaned at my initial touch and began kissing me in return. She pulled away soon after, realizing we were out in the open. I sighed but understood. We eventually kept walking, taking in the sights.

"Commander Alonso. Enter the password to receive a free gift." A woman's voice reverberated though the hall.

_What the?_

"What was that?" Miranda asked, looking around in full alert.

"Enter the password to receive a free gift." The voice repeated. I looked around and saw a hooded woman appear in a billboard ad, replacing one that was advertising a computer game. I walked forward towards the static billboard, suddenly remembering the dossier from TIM.

_The password!_

"Silence is golden." I said calmly. Miranda furrowed her brows as if I have gone mad because I was talking to a programmed advertisement.

The hooded woman smiled, "Good to finally meet you Commander Alonso." Miranda did a double take and began to speak but was interrupted. "Kasumi Goto. I'm a fan!" The hooded asian woman said cheerfully.

I nodded, saying, "Has Cerberus briefed you on the mission?"

"To be honest, I'm surprised they haven't come to me sooner...My fault for being hard to find I guess. They have been looking for me. Apparently they were looking for someone to join you on an important mission and were offering a large signing bonus. I have a thing I need help with, so I made them a deal."

I crossed my arms at the young woman. "Leave Cerberus to leave that part out. What's this deal? I hope we don't have to fight Thresher Maws?"

Kasumi chuckled and shook her head. "No nothing like that! I'm looking for my old partner's grey box. A wealthy man named Donovan Hock took it and I'm planning to take it back." _Ah a heist. Should be fun. _

"What's this heist you're planning?"

"Not here Commander. I have to sort out some last details. I have some formal wear." Kasumi looked at Miranda. "I got some for you too."

"What?" Miranda and I said in unison.

"I've been watching you too since you two the landed on the ward and I must say that kiss outside Cipritine Armory? Steamy!"

I looked at Miranda, who simply blushed.

"You'll both want to look presentable!" Kasumi beamed a smile.

"So..." I cleared my throat from the awkwardness. "What can you tell me about this Hock guy?"

"Mister Hock is a wealthy business man. Arms dealer, murderer...generally a great guy. His mansion is famous for being hard to crack but he hasn't heard of me." Kasumi beamed of arrogance.

"You mentioned a greybox. What is it?" I asked.

"It's a neural implant." Miranda began. "They are mainly sold in the black market due to how dangerous they can be. The information that one can store is limitless."

"And Hock killed my partner to get a hold of one." Kasumi looked down to hide her face underneath her hood. If I were to suspect, her partner meant something to Kasumi.

"Tell me about your partner." I pressed.

"His name was Keiji Okuda. Best hacker and man I've ever known." Kasumi hid her face once more. "Unfortunately...he made a mistake and became infamous. He stole something he shouldn't have. He warned me it was bad. Information that could cause interstellar war. Information...that got him killed."

"I see. Well if Cerberus promised you that, we'll head there as soon as possible."

Kasumi lifted her head and smiled. "Good! It should be fun." Kasumi's face on the billboard disappeared and returned to the video game ad.

"We should probably wrap this up." Kasumi appeared beside me, causing me and Miranda to yelp and jump back. "You look silly talking to an advertisement." Miranda began to chuckle. "See you on the ship Alonso!"

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 1200 hours**

"You got me ship models?" Jane looked at the large boxes sitting on my coffee table as I fed my brand new fish.

"Yeah! To give us something to do together when we aren't too busy." I smiled.

"We aren't kids anymore Charlie." Jane leaned back on the sofa and crossed one leg over the other.

"I know but..." I sighed in defeat. "I thought you might want to do something with me like we used to during shore leave after months of training." My lips formed a pout that always found a way to weaken Jane. This time was no different.

"I didn't mean it like that." Jane sighed as well but conceded. "I'd like that."

"Want to start one right now?" I offered shyly.

"Now?" Jane arched an eyebrow.

"We've got no missions at the moment. We have Kasumi on board and she's doing some last minute researching before we steal her partner's greybox. We might as well." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Okay." Jane smiled and looked at the collection of boxes stacked on top of each other. "Let's do this one." Jane showed me the box that contained a model of the Destiny Ascension. I nodded and picked up the others and set them down on my desk up above. I walked down the small steps and joined Shepard on the floor, watching her open the box with excitement. "This is going to be fun." Jane beamed a smile as she looked at the instructions while I inspected the miniature pieces and began building them without looking at the instructions. _Who needs instructions? Bunch of nonsense if you ask me!_

Shepard joined me minutes later, enjoying each other's company. Talking and having fun despite everything happening in our lives..._Just how it should've been._

"So..." Jane looked at me in a sideways glance. "You and Miranda?" she leaned sideways and nudged me with her shoulder.

"-Are just friends."

"Uh huh." Jane replied, not buying it.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Don't give me that!" Jane playfully punched me on the shoulder. "You two are back together aren't you?"

"You should have seen them kissing out in the Zakera Ward Sheppy." Kasumi appeared out of nowhere. Jane and I hugged each other in surprise, gaining a giggle from the young thief.

"You gotta stop doing that!" I yelled, breathing heavily.

"Sorry. Couldn't help it." Kasumi winked.

"Wait..." Jane brought up her hands. "You were kissing?"

"I...well you see..." My cheeks began to burn in embarrassment. _Damn it Kasumi! I had it under control. _I sighed and pinched my nose. "I plead the fifth." I mumbled.

"Oh Charlie..." Jane chuckled which soon developed into crying laughter.

"What's so funny?" I glared at the spectre.

"Noth-Nothing I..." Jane continued to laugh hysterically for whatever reason and I just sat there angrily crossing my arms.

"Thanks a lot Kasumi."

"Don't blame me Chuck." Kasumi began to stand. "I'm ready to leave to Bekenstein. I just talked to Miranda and gave her a dress. I sneaked in earlier and placed your suit in your drawer. We are going to a party."

_A...party? _I laughed nervously. _Miranda is going to kill me._

**Skies of Bekenstein - Taxi - Commander Alonso - 1400 hours**

The skies of Bekenstein was breathtaking. The orange sun tore holes through the clouds and the large city appeared on the horizon as I drove over the vast ocean below us. I looked to my right and saw Miranda looking radiant as ever. She dyed her hair blonde, leaving her roots and tips to have some of her natural black hair color. Her hair was put in a pony tail. A loose strand of golden hair rested just over her left eye.

I froze when I first saw her new look on board the Normandy. She looked amazing. _No. Amazing doesn't even begin to describe her. There **are** no words to describe how beautiful she looks._ She wore a silky red dress that exposed her back beautifully. The dress was securely fastened to her petite body by spaghetti straps, forming a 'x' pattern on her back. My eyes moved further down her curvaceous figure. Miranda's dress flowed down to her ankles. My eyes fixed on the slit that went from low-mid thigh towards the bottom of the dress.

If it weren't for Kasumi sitting in the back seat, I would place the cab on auto pilot and rip the dress off of Miranda. Miranda finally acknowledged me looking at her with hunger and desire and smirked.

"Something you like Commander?" She teased, her Australian accent sounded stronger as the words rolled off her tongue.

_God is it hot in here?_ I gulped and adjusted my black tie for the thousandth time in five minutes. I felt like suffocating under this suit. "Well I...errr...Was just inspecting your dress." I laughed nervously, readjusting my tie once more. "I...I-I was just checking see if it's secure to your...body...yes."

Kasumi chuckle as Miranda smiled.

I turned to the thief behind us. "So, I assume these dresses are necessary?"

"What, jealous that a wealthy businessman will sweep me off my feet?" Miranda teased.

"No!" I replied instantly, gaining a chuckle from Cerberus' second in command. I sighed and shook my head. "What's the plan?"

"You two will be a couple. Mister and Misses Solomon Gunn and Freya Lewis."

"Solomon Gunn?" I interrupted, "I couldn't be...I don't know...Have a better name than that? Like James Bond or I don't know...Charles Carmichael or something?"

"Sorry Chuck." Kasumi shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "Spare of the moment. Anyways! Back to what I was saying. You two run a small but ruthless mercenary band out in the terminus systems. Exactly the type of people Hock respects. I gave you the necessary background. I even made an article for the both of you on Badass Weekly! But whatever you do..._Don't start talking business with him._ Anything else and you'll be fine."

"So what's this plan exactly?" I asked with a curiously raised brow.

"Mister Hock is holding a party for his closest friends, all giving generous gifts to the illustrious host." Kasumi tapped something on her omni-tool which brought up various images including a photo of Donovan Hock, a golden statue of Saren, and the image of the large mansion that we will soon be raiding. "Our gift is a statue of your old friend Saren Arterius that is filled inside with our weapons and armor. You can keep your pistol, as long as it's concealed of course. Once inside the party, we go get out weapons and armor, make our way to Hock's precious vault, and steal Keiji's greybox."

"Sounds too simple but whatever." I shrugged my shoulders. "We'll wing it if we have to."

Miranda scoffed. "You of all people would say that." I couldn't help but smirk. We remained in silence until we arrived to Hock's estate.

"This place is huge!" Miranda and I said unison as we looked up at the five stories high, fifteen room wide mansion. On the corner of my eyes, I saw the golden statue of Saren being inspected by an eclipse merc.

"Is there a problem?" Donovan Hock stepped out in a white tuxedo, speaking in a weird accent. Almost Irish but...not even close.

"Not at all Mister Hock. Just doing a scan." Replied the merc, waving his omni-tool at Saren's statue.

Donovan face Miranda, Kasumi, and me and placed his arms behind his back. "I don't think we've met. Donovan Hock."

I nodded. "Solomon Gun." I extended my hand but was left hanging as I watched Donovan stare me, then at my hand before turning to face the statue. Miranda snorted but soon was faced a glare from me.

"Sir. The scanner doesn't seem to pick anything up." Reported the security guard.

"Hmmm... I don't think our guests would travel all the way here from the Terminus systems to simply cause trouble." The guard simply rubbed his head in embarrassment and Hock turned to face me. "You may proceed to the party Mister Gunn." He glanced up and down Kasumi. "But I must ask that she were to remain outside. I hope you can understand."

_Damn it!_ "Fine. As a sign of good faith, my friend will remain here."

"Good to here. Again, enjoy the party Mister Gunn." Hock walked inside his mansion to mingle with the rest of the low lives of the galaxy.

Miranda, Kasumi and I walked to the side of the large building. Kasumi rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Well this was unexpected. Can't blame him for watching his ass though."

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"Well the plan is still a go. I'll cloak myself and watch over the both of you." Kasumi disappeared into thin air. I breathed deeply to calm myself and I turned to look at Miranda, who seemed to glow from the sun.

I smiled and extended my hand for her to take. "Shall we miss Lewis?"

"After you Mister Gunn." Miranda winked and took my hand and we headed into the party.

* * *

**I want to thank again to the bluemarlin for another review :) and to those that have added me to their email alerts. **

**You guys get extra points if you got Miranda's cover reference ;) or one of Charlie's much preferred cover names because Solomon Gunn? Yeah that was a stupid name...at least for me.**

**Leave a review and Subscribe, Favorite and Follow me and/or my stories for future updates. I hope to publish part 2 of this story before Thanksgiving... Gosh it's the end of the year already. I've been writing this saga for 9 months now...wow. And I have you guys to thank :D**

**Anyways, until next time!**


	9. The Thieves vs The Millionaire

**Okay so I didn't get this chapter out before Thanksgiving but two chapters in five days is a good turnout...right? :D**

**Chapter title inspired by 'Chuck'**

**Hope you enjoy**

* * *

The Thieves vs The Millionaire

**November 5, 2185**

**Bekenstein - Donovan Hock's Estate - Commander Alonso - 1420 hours**

Miranda and I walked side by side, her arm linking into mine as we stepped into Donovan Hock's mansion. We walked towards a large room, where paintings covered the ceilings. It resembled some of the paintings that were found on Italy back on Earth. A long, gigantic chandelier illuminated the entire room. I looked down and saw the various tables along the edge of the walls, leaving enough space in the center for people to dance. Further back, a band was currently playing Strauss' Blue Danube Walz.

"Focus Miss Lewis." I said with amusement in my voice after turning to see Miranda's smile as she listened intently at the music being played. "Split up?" I offered. "We'll cover more ground."

"Don't do anything you would regret." Miranda warned, whispering in my ear.

"What, like come back to the Normandy with a woman in my arms?" I teased as I pulled her close to me. "Hmmm, I don't think I have seen anyone here that would be even worth it." I winked and began separating from Miranda.

"Ass." Miranda muttered, gaining a smirk from me that was unseen from her. I exited the large room and began wandering through the large hall, passing by smaller guest rooms. _I doubt he even has real friends that he would actually be able to invite! _I said to myself. I turned the corner and found a large fifteen-foot door at the end of the hall. _Is that the entrance to the safe?_ I began to make my way towards it but felt someone watching me.

"Hey you! Hold it!"

_Shit! _I stopped in my tracks I slowly turned around. As I suspected, two eclipse mercs, one man and a woman, walked forward with vindicator guns lowered in front of their chests.

"What are you doing here?" Asked the female merc.

"I was looking for the restroom." I replied, looking around aimlessly. "I must have gotten lost."

The woman glared with suspicion and the three off us stayed still for a few moments until the male merc spoke. "Restrooms are up the stairs and first door on the right."

I nodded my thanks and began heading back and came to a screeching halt when I saw Miranda talking with Hock. The way she smiled and laughed caused me to glare at her. I watched the two from far away and saw Hock place his filthy hands on her hips. _Is she...welcoming it? _I clenched my fists and my face began to boil with rage.

_What the fuck is he doing to my girl! And what is __**she**__ doing! The nerve!_

Hock extended his hand and Miranda took it. Hock lead her towards the band where Mister Hock told something to the leader of the band. Soon, Hock led Miri to the dance floor; the band began to play _Liber Tango _and Miri and Hock soon began to dance together. I watched with shock, horror and anger as I just watched two bodies become one. Their movement was fluent, precise and sensual. The way Miranda hips moved or when she extended her leg, exposing and showing off her toned thighs around the dance floor almost made me drool. But those moments of desire for Miranda quickly turned to hate as she had no business whatsoever to be dancing with Hock.

I watched the rest of the dance as Hock moved his hands on Miranda's neck, hips, legs and between her breasts. I wanted to go in there and stop this madness. I wanted so hard to go up to Hock and punch him in the face. But I couldn't jeopardize the mission so I had to sit there and watch like some sort of caged animal.

_Miranda will pay for this!_

"Kasumi!" I sneered into the earpiece. "Find anything?"

"There's a Chief Roe in charge. There are cameras everywhere and we can't get through that vault unless we hack into their systems." Kasumi responded.

"Alright go and find the security's headquarters." I ordered. The other end fell silent.

Hock began touching Miranda's thighs once more and Miranda moaned with delight. _THAT'S IT!_

I stomped my way towards the two, not caring for the glances from the audience. I stopped and waited for the duo to bump into me. The two looked at me in surprise.

"Is there a problem Mister Gunn?" Hock asked with a slight grin on his lips. _Oh yeah! There is a problem you piece of shit! I hope you discover that we are robbing you so you can come to us and try to kill us. I pray to the fucking Goddess of Athame that I get to kill you for laying your piece of shit hands on my girl!_

"Yes there is actually. You were dancing with my _date_." I looked at Miranda with a glare, who gulped.

"My apologies. She was simply saying that she hardly is taken out like this. She said that she was barely...satisfied." Donovan grinned once more.

"Is that so?" I asked Hock without averting my gaze from Miranda.

"Yes. I believe so." He replied.

"Hmph!" I firmly grasped Miranda wrist and began pulling her away from Hock. "Well if you would excuse us."

"Charlie let go of me!" Miranda pleaded as we rounded the corner out of sight.

"How dare you!" I let go and pushed her against the wall. "Does our relationship not matter to you at all?!" I choked and pushed myself off. I soon found myself beginning pacing back and forth in a blood rage.

"Charlie I-" Miranda reached her hand out to calm me but I quickly swatted it away.

"Dont!" I stopped pacing and faced her. "I thought we were getting along great. We both finally have each other." I sighed and turned away from her. "Now it seems that you don't even care about me or my damn feelings. You know how difficult it was to look at you back there? To...and then that bastard tells me that I don't _please_ you? What the fuck is that supposed to mean!" I tried to blink the tears away but it was no used stopping it. I chuckle despite my tears. "I wouldn't be surprised if this was Cerberus' plans all along. For you to come back into my life and seduce me. It seems too convenient now that I look at it. You are put up to the task to revive me, The Illusive Man is surely aware of our...relationship two years ago. He must have thought that you were capable enough to sway me to join Cerberus blindly. The whole thing with Ashley happened yesterday. After that _you_ came up to my quarters and we had sex after that." I laughed once more. "You had me fooled."

"Charlie that's not-" Miranda reached for me once more but I flared my biotics and rammed her against the wall.

"Don't. Touch. Me." I glared.

"Commander, I found the HQ." Kasumi's voice flooded my earpiece. I released Miranda and walked towards Kasumi, leaving Miranda to decide if she wants to finish this mission with us or not.

**Forty minutes later...**

"Hurry up!" I yelled at Miranda, who took her sweet fucking time to catch up with Kasumi and me after finding Keiji Greybox. Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief when she found it, as if reuniting with an old friend or finding that high school yearbook and looking at how much has changed. For me? Everything is just fucking dandy! Ashley dumped me and Miranda practically cheated on me again. AGAIN! As if the first time it wasn't enough.

Kasumi grinned when she saw four Locusts smgs on top of a pedestal. She handed one to Miranda and two to me, keeping the last one to herself.

"We have the box, let's get-"

"Hold it right there." A redhead with heavy eclipse armor came through the way we came with fourteen other armed mercs. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Out that door behind you." I pressed my hands together behind my back on turned on my omni-tool. "We could do this the easy way or the hard way. Easy way is killing the rest of your pathetic soldiers then you and the hard way is...talking, then killing you and your men."

"That's Chief Roe by the way." Kasumi leaned over and whispered to me.

"I don't give a shit." I muttered. "Where's Hock? I am going to find him and kill him."

"Oh you won't be able to see him I'm afraid." Chief Roe smirked, "You see, you will three will die here."

"I beg to differ. Because ever since you walked into that door, I've been hacking into your systems. Your shields and armor are disabled." I brought out my pistol, aiming it at Chief Roe and I pulled the trigger. Roe's body fell to the floor and every single one of her men looked down in shock. "So..." I began. "Who's next?" A smug appeared on my face as I watched everyone running for their lives into the elevator.

"Well, that was unexpected." Kasumi said wide-eyed.

"A trick taught by a young quarian." I smirked. "Let's get out of here." We began making our way towards the elevator, not before Kasumi took an asari tablet from a nearby pedestal on the right. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. _Well Hock won't be needing them at least._

The elevator door opened, finding Hock pointing a gun at us. "I figured you three were up to no good." He turned to face me. "I apologize for lying. It has never been my strong suit. I would have advised you to talk with your companion. But I'm afraid that will never happen."

_What?_

**BANG!**

I gasped as I saw Hock's pistol muzzle flash. I looked down at my body but saw nothing. I turned to Kasumi and saw nothing as well. I suddenly felt cold. I slowly turned to face Miranda. Her face began to turn pale. I looked down and observed that she had suffered a bullet wound in the stomach. Miranda fell to the ground. Large pools of blood came out of her tight cat suit. Kasumi and I crouched beside her.

_No! Stay with me damn it!_

"Chuck..." Miranda breathed heavily, taking my hand. "I..." Miranda slipped into unconsciousness. A primal rage surged inside me. I flared my biotics and turned to Hock and pushed him into the wall with a thunk. I stormed towards him and crouched down near him. I unsheathed my knife from my boot and held it up his neck.

"Please!" He shouted, pleading for forgiveness. "Please don't kill me."

_Fucking asshole!_

"You should have thought that before you dance with **my** girlfriend! Now you have the balls to ask for forgiveness after shooting her!" I shook my head. "No. You deserve to die." I slit his throat before he got to say anything. I flared my biotics and pushed him out of the elevator, impaling him on one of the spikes of lady liberty's crown. I ran towards Miranda's dying body and gently picked her up into my arms. "Come on! Let's get to the Normandy!"

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Alonso - 1600 hours**

I set Miranda gingerly into one of the cots to let the nurses and Chakwas to take care of her. _Please be okay..._

"Commander I must ask you to get out. I will do everything to help her. I promise." Before I could protest, Shepard came into the Medbay and pulled me by the arm. Once outside I pulled her arms away from Jane's grasp and observed Chakwas begin her work from the large window. I gripped the railing, cursing at myself.

"What happened?" Shepard asked.

"She got shot! What the fuck do you think!" I yelled. Shepard flinched at my words. I breathed deeply and calmed down. "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you." Shepard nodded and held my hand as I watched Chakwas use shears to rip away Miranda's clothing.

"She'll be okay. Chakwas will do everything she can."

"I know..."I said as tears crawled down my face. _It's all my fault. If she dies...I don't know how I can do this without her. I need her._

"Come on." Shepard pulled me away from the med bay window. "Let's get out of here. We can't do anything." Shepard led me towards my quarters and sat me down at the edge of the bed. We stayed silent for a while.

"It's all my fault." I said softly. I slowly told Shepard the rundown of the whole mission. Seeing Miranda and Hock dancing, my angry rant towards her, to Hock shooting at her before I killed him. "If she dies...our last memory together is us fighting. I...don't want that." I shook my head. "She can't die."

"She'll be fine." Shepard held me and stroked her hand up and down my arm. I closed my eyes, finding her warmth soothing. She began humming something and I found myself drift to sleep.

**November 6, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - CIC - Commander Shepard - 0000 hours**

"Shepard we have arrived at Illium."

"Thank you EDI. Anything else?" I asked.

"Doctor Chakwas has finished with XO Lawson's surgery. She wishes to speak with you."

"Thank you, I'll head down there now."

"Logging you out Shepard."

I walked into the med bay, finding Miranda sleeping in her cot and Chakwas sitting at her desk. Once she heard her door opened she turned and stood to face me. She walked over to me and smiled. "Miss Lawson had lost a lot of blood but the surgery has been success. Though, I would advise that she remain sleeping for another few hours. The commander can see her if he wants but other than that nobody else can see her."

I nodded. "Thank you doctor. You are amazing." Karin smiled. "I'll wake up Charlie and let him know. We have arrived at Illium so we might get another shore leave pretty soon. I'll run it up by our CO." I turned and walked into my quarters, finding Charlie shivering and shaking his head in his sleep.

"No! Miri..." Charlie moaned in his sleep. I rushed over and began shaking him.

"Charlie wake up!"

No response.

"Charlie!"

Charlie gasped awake and pushed me down on the bed, holding his knife in my throat. Once he saw me and his surroundings, he backed away and dropped the knife.

"Fuck!" He back into the wall and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

I stood up and slowly pulled him into an embrace. "No, I shouldn't have woken you up like that but you were having nightmares."

"What time is it?" he asked, holding me closer.

"Just past midnight."

"Is Miranda..." he voice trailed and I shook my head.

"She's fine. Everything is fine." I felt Charlie breathe a sigh of relief into my hair. "Chakwas fixed her Charlie. You can see her if you want but she's sleeping right now."

"Thank god." Charlie pulled away and smiled. "I'm going to go see her. Get some sleep Jane. I'll take things over from here." We hugged each other once more. "Thank you."

I pulled away and kisssed his cheek. "It's what best friends do." We exchanged smiles and Charlie walked out. I removed my shirt and pants and crawled into bed, holding my blasto plush that Charlie gave me yesterday after his Citadel shopping with Miranda. I drifted off to sleep, knowing that everything is fine.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Alonso - 0010 hours**

I slowly walked into the med bay, first noticing Miranda's sleeping state. I rushed over to her and held her hand into mine while my other reached to touch her cheek.

"I'll leave you two alone." Chakwas stood beside me as I gently let go of Miri's hand. "Be careful with her. She is still recovering. Have a goodnight Commander."

I pulled the good doctor close which she returned. "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure Charles. It's my job after all." Chakwas smiled and walked out of her med bay.

Once the doors closed, I pulled a nearby chair and sat next to Miranda's bed and resumed to hold her hand.

"I thought I lost you." I said softly, kissing the back of her hand. "I kept reliving the mission in my sleep. I...I can't believe I was jealous. I can't believe I let that asshole touch you. I should have intervened before. He probably wouldn't have shot you. It's all my fault and I am so sorry. If...if you don't want 'us' to be together...I-I...I understand. You deserve someone who won't let you get hurt. Get well Miri." I stood up and felt Miranda weakly tighten her grip on my hand. I froze as I saw Miranda's eyes flutter open.

"Stay..." She said weakly. It broke my heart seeing her in such a weak state. "Don't...leave...me."

"I..." I shook my head. _I can't see you hurt like this._ I sat on the edge of her bed and ran my hand through Miranda's blonde hair. "You should change your hair once you get better."

"Ass." She replied weakly and I laughed with tears on the corner of my eyes. We stayed silent for awhile. I continued to run my hand through her hair as Miranda's eyes looked into mine with love.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you-" Miranda brought a finger to my lips to silence me.

"Just shut up and kiss me." Miranda grinned.

My brows and lips arched devilishly. "Doctor said you are still recovering."

"I know my own body than anyone else. I'll be fine." Miranda scoffed.

I chuckled. "Ignoring doctor's orders." I leaned closer until my lips barely brushed Miranda's, "I find that extremely sexy."

Miranda's hand snaked around my neck and forced a kiss. I squealed with surprise but feeling Miranda's tongue battling with mine caused me to welcome the invasion. Passion, love and desire were rolled into one long make out session. I broke the kiss, wanting to breathe.

"Can't handle the fire Commander?" Miranda purred as she scooted over a few inches, inviting me to lie next to her. I did so and held Miranda close to me, protecting her from the cold air of the med bay.

"Shut up and go to sleep." I ordered. Miranda nuzzled her head into my neck and wrapped her hands around my waist. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." I said softly.

"I understand. You were jealous." I felt Miranda's lips arched in a grin.

"Was not!"

"You said it yourself." Miri responded evenly.

"That was your imagination. You are still recovering after all."

"Perhaps..."

_Heh, looks like I won._ I smiled and giggled internally and I breathed contently and the both of us drifted to a satisfied sleep.

* * *

**Phew! I thought those two were done!**

**I want to take this time and thank you. Yes you, the reader. You guys have been reading my stories and have been supportive and I want to thank you for the love you guys have shown me. It means a lot. :')**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)**

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 3 Enjoy being with family, friends and food :p**

**Until next time!**


	10. Illium

**Alright ladies and gents!**

**Liara and Jane's reunion has finally arrived! Hope you guys like it**

**See you on the other side!**

* * *

Illium

**November 6, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Alonso - 1100 hours**

I woke up finding Miranda nowhere in my sight. I sat up on the cot, finding Chakwas sitting on her desk. I grunted and wiped the sleep from my eyes. "What time is it doc?"

"Eleven in the morning Commander." She replied as I got up and stretched. "If you are looking for Miss Lawson, she's in her office. She was gone by the time I got here."

_Figures..._ I sighed but nodded. "Thanks doc." I left the med bay and walked across the mess hall and into Miranda's office.

I walked towards her office and sat in one of the chairs. I watched as Miranda typed ferociously on her replaced terminal, not aware of my presence. Her raven black locks have returned. My brows lifted in amusement. I walked around her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Miranda flinched and gasped. I gave her a tender kiss on the cheek and smiled.

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"Not that long unfortunately." I held her tighter, but still cautious on Miri's injury. "How are you feeling?"

"Could be worse..." Miranda stood up from her swivel chair and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Don't say that. I can't lose you. It wasn't til then that I realized how much it hurt me to see you injured. I'll do everything I can to ensure that you survive this mission." I brushed her cheeks with my fingers. Miranda closed her eyes and hummed with contempt, leaning into my touch. "Come here." I guided her towards the bed and we held each other. "EDI, lock the door and I was no disturbances."

"Understood Commander."

"Wanting some privacy?" Miranda looked up at me with a toothy smile. I looked down at her and gave a smile of my own.

"Well, I want to make up for the hours you left me alone in the med bay."

"Charlie, I..." I brought a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"I get it. You don't want people finding out. It's already Miri. No hard feelings." Miranda nodded and nuzzled her face in my neck. I wrapped my arms around her slender, petite frame, closing my eyes in satisfaction while I brushed and played with her hair. "I wish we could stay like this forever." I sighed deeply.

"Hmm me too." Miranda spoke softly, lost in our embrace herself. "I often ask myself what I ever did to deserve you."

I opened my eyes and looked down. I pulled on Miranda chin until her steel-blue eyes looked into mine. "You have done more than anyone could ever do for me. You gave me a new life. A fresh start. It's something that I could never fully repay. You give me purpose."

"You are such a sap." Miranda hit me playfully on my chest, causing me to chuckle.

"I don't know how long we will last, but I plan on spending every possible second with you. If I die tomorrow, I want to die a happy man." I held Miranda tighter.

"Please...don't say that." Miri pleaded. "I've have just gotten you, don't you dare die on me. Promise me." I stayed silent for a moment. Miranda broke the embrace and hit me on the shoulder with a clenched fist. "Promise me damn it!"

I looked into her eyes and saw tears beginning to form. I wiped a tear with the pad of my thumb. "I...I promise." Miranda sobbed and rested her head on my chest. I began to soothe her, rubbing my hand affectionately up and down her back. "It's okay."

Miranda shook her head. "It's not okay! I don't know what this is! Why am I crying? I should be composed!" I began to smile despite Miranda's so called 'suffering'.

"You love me." I said as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

Miranda scoffed and turned around so her back faced me. "Don't be absurd."

"Oh? Then what is it?" I asked amusedly.

"It's a schoolgirl crush Commander. Nothing more." Miranda tried to respond coldly.

I chuckled, "Keep telling yourself that sweetheart. Someone will believe you. Whether you have a schoolgirl crush or something more, it doesn't matter." I wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my head on her shoulder. "All that matters is that we are together...and that _I_ love you."

I felt Miranda take a quick intake of breath from my words. "Y-you do?"

"I do." I kissed the back of her neck. "With every ounce of my being." Miranda remained silent. _Uh oh. Did I say too much? _"See," I began, trying to lighten the mood. "you like my sappy side." Miranda turned around and mock-glared at me but she leaned in to kiss me passionately on my lips, which I gladly welcomed and returned.

"I need to talk to you about something." Miranda spoke minutes later, shifting nervously. "It's about Liara T'Soni." I remained silent to let her continue. "She's here on Illium."

"And why would she be here?" I asked.

"You remember back on Lazarus station that I said I had a help from someone?" I nodded. "Well, she and I worked together while you were in the hands of the Blue Suns."

"Doing what?" I asked.

"I was her teacher. I gave her the necessary skills to find your location. I taught her how to be an information broker."

"You? Taught...her?" My mouth dropped opened. "Is...that what she's doing right now?" Miranda nodded. "Then we have to tell Shepard!" I grabbed Miranda's hand and pulled her out of her office.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Shepard's quarters - Commander Shepard - 1140 hours**

_I yawned and stretched in a feline-like manner, taking a pause as I wrote my report to Hackett. I sighed deeply. "I need a break."_

_"Shepard?" Liara cautiously stepped into my quarters. I smiled and watched as my love sauntered over to sit across my lap. "What are you doing?" she looked over at the computer terminal._

_"Just finishing up a report for Hackett. Never thought we would run in a thresher maw nest." Liara and I shivered at the memory. "How are you feeling?"_

_"I must admit that it will take some time to get over the sight." Liara reached for my hands and gave them a light squeeze._

_"Is there something you want to talk about?" I asked as I began sensing Liara's nervousness._

_"I was just talking with Kaidan, it seems that he is...interested in you." Liara looked down and frowned._

_"So I've seen. He's a good guy but I'm not interested." Liara breathed a sigh of relief and I looked at her with amusement. "Wait. Were you jealous?"_

_"Well..." Liara looked down and blushed, wringing her hands together."I was just-"_

_"Hey," I lifted my fingers under her chin and pulled her head up so we made eye contact. "I will never fall for another. You are my one and only. I love you Liara T'Soni."_

_Liara smiled and leaned in to kiss me. "I love you too, Jane Alexandia Shepard."_

_"Don't call me by my middle name. Just for future reference." I leaned in to kiss Liara but she stopped my approach._

_"Why? I thought you would like the name your parents named you."_

_"It's a stupid middle name. I hate it." I muttered, gaining a chuckle from the asari. "What's so funny?"_

_Liara leaned in to kiss me tenderly on the lips. "You are so cute when you pout. It's amusing just to see how bad you are at it."_

_"Well I'm glad you're enjoying this at my expense." I huffed and crossed my arms._

_Liara ran her hand through my red hair and began leaving kisses on my neck. "How about you do that report later Shepard."_

_I moaned, arched my neck to give Liara more access. "Sounds...good."_

_Within seconds, both of our clothes were off and scattered throughout my floor. Liara pushed me down on the bed and soon straddled me. I ran my hands up and down my lover's toned thighs while she leaned down, began kissing my nipple. I groaned at the touch, feeling the wetness of Liara's tongue on my rock hard nipple._

_"Liara..." I moaned as my hands roamed her crest while Liara continue to bite and suckle on my breasts, her fingers roaming up and down my stomach in a gentle scratching motion. My right hand began to reach down towards my body, finding the spot between my legs wet from arousal. I started to pleasure myself, arching my back at the sensation but Liara grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand away._

_"Allow me." My lover smirked. Her lips trailed down towards my stomach before her lips and tongue landed in between my folds. I gasped and panted from the initial touch but soon found bliss as she began to please me._

_"Yes...please! Do your worst doctor!"_

"Shepard? Jane wake up." Charlie sat on the edge of the bed, giving me light shakes. I swatted his hand away, grunting and turning over to my stomach. I heard a deep sigh and Charlie stood from my bed. "Get up!" Charlie pulled the comforter from my back and I shivered from the cold.

"The hell!" I jumped out of bed, instantly grabbing the comforter on the floor so I could warm up my exposed legs. I sat on the bed, leaning my back on the headboard, rubbing my hands over my legs."I hate it when you do that."

"Yeah yeah you were having a wet dream whatever. Look..." Charlie looked at Miranda, who was looking down in embarrassment. "Miranda has something she wants to share with you."

"This can wait Commander." Miranda began to walk out but only to be pulled back in from Charlie.

"It's okay. She won't be pissed. Well..." He turned his head to face me and smirked. "she will be if you don't tell her."

Miranda sighed. "Very well." She began to pace. "Two years ago, when the commander here passed, The Illusive Man put a plan in place for me to revive him. This you already know but what you don't know is that I had help recovering the Commander's body. At this time, his body was under the possession of the Blue Suns. The Shadow Broker had hired them to find the Commander. Once found, The Shadow Broker was going to give the Commander's body to the Collectors." Miranda paused and began to scratch her shoulders.

"Who was the person who helped you?" I asked.

"It..." Miranda began to pace once more but soon, Charlie went over to sooth and comforter her. Miranda took a deep breath before speaking. "It was Doctor Liara T'Soni."

My heart froze for a second. "What?"

"I came to her for help after..._that_" _Yes, I remember perfectly well thank you very much! _I glared a Miranda, gaining a protective look from Charlie. I bit my lip from saying anything and let Lawson continue. "I helped her to become an information broker. I helped her peel away lies and information that eventually lead her to Omega, the Blue Suns, and Charlie's body. She rescued him with a help of an ally. Once she completed her part of the deal, I began my work in resurrecting Charlie."

_Liara... why didn't you ask me to help?_

_I was an idiot that's why!_

"Is she here on Illium?" I asked, shaking away my thoughts.

"She is." Charlie and Miranda said in unison.

I looked down towards my hands that were fidgeting. _Liara if I see you...please forgive me. I need you to forgive me. _"I...I'd like to go see her. If that's alright."

Charlie looked at Miranda and smiled. "You can go now. Thanks Miri."

"There is something I'd like to add that's unrelated." Miranda spoke. Charlie nodded and Miranda continued, "Miss Sturridge came to me this morning about installing Salaris armor. It's designed by the asari that can resist heat and kinetic energy weapons. I have gotten a hold of my contacts here on Illium and they will be here shortly and begin installation. It will take three days to complete so we won't be able to travel until the armor has been installed."

Charlie smiled, "Thanks sweetheart." Miranda rolled her eyes and quickly exited my quarters.

"Well," I smirked, "she sure doesn't mind being called that anymore."

Charlie laughed and walked over to sit next to me. "I'll get it later today I'm sure." Charlie held my hands into his. "I'll go with you, if you want me to." I nodded wordlessly, feeling butterflies in my stomach. _God it's been two years since I've seen her. Has she really moved on? Has...has she found someone else? Does she still love me? Are 'we' over like she said?_ "Go ahead and take a shower then we can go." I nodded and with his help, got some clothes to head out. I froze after grabbing a black shirt.

"I...I don't know if I can do this. Wh-what if she doesn't want to talk to me? What if she hates me? I don't want to handle the rejection. I don't want to think of a life without her."

"Then tell her how much you have missed her. Tell her the truth. You can do this Jane."

I shook my head. "I don't know."

Charlie grabbed a firm hold of my shoulder and chuckled. "Hey, everything is going to be fine! I'll talk to her first if you want."

"I think that would be good idea." I agreed.

"Alright. Go," Charlie pushed me out of my quarters. "I'll up on the bridge."

**Illium - Nos Astra Trading Floor - Commander Alonso - 1225 hours**

"Hello there, how can I help you?" A young asari sat behind a desk. _Nyxeris._ I looked down at the tag on her desk.

"We would like to see Miss T'Soni." I said with a smile.

The asari smiled back, "Do you have an appointment Mister..."

"Alonso, Charles Alonso." I smirked before Jane stomped on my foot.

"O-Oh! Commander Alonso! S-sure, you can go ahead and see her. Please, follow me." Nyxeris stood from her chair and led Jane and I towards Liara's office.

The door to Liara's office opened and saw her looking out at the trading floor below, talking with a human. "...Have you ever faced an asari commando before?" Liara spoke coldly to the man that caused Jane to flinch and hide outside Liara's office. "Few humans _have_! I'll make it _simple!_ Either you pay me...or I'll flay you alive. With my mind!" Liara terminated the call and turned around and prepared to sit in her chair but she quickly saw me.

Liara's eyes widened in surprise. "Charlie! Nyxeris hold my calls." I turned to face the assistant who simply bowed and walked out. The door closed and Liara wrapped her hands around me in a friendly hug.

"My sources told me you were alive, but I never... It's...It's good to see you." Liara walked around her desk and gestured me to take a seat. I looked back at the door, waiting for Shepard to walk in but she never came. _Damn it!_

"Sources? Don't you mean Miranda?"

"Yes of course though its more that her. Sources, contacts, even a little muscle. I've been working as an information broker. It's paid the bills since you... well, for the past two years. And now you are back, gunning for the Collectors with Cerberus."

I leaned forwards and propped my elbows on her desk, "Well if you know that much then you know I could use your help."

Liara shook her head. "I can't, Commander. I have commitments here...Things I need taken care of."

"Such as? Are you in trouble?" I asked.

Liara smiled and shook her head. "No trouble. More like things that needs to be done. Debts to repay. Listen," Liara began to fidget with her hands, "If you would like to help, I could use your hacking expertise, someone I can trust."

"Well," I began, leaning back into the chair, smirking. "I'm not as good as Tali..." Liara smiled and shook her head, "but sure. I'd love to help."

"Thank you Charles. If you could disable security points around the trading floor, you could get information I need. My assistant has narrowed down the lists of possible suspects. If you discover who it is, I would appreciate it."

"Sure thing, but you can't tell me what's going on?"

Liara slammed her fists on the table, causing me to jump in my seat. "Don't you think I want to Commander! This isn't because I don't trust you." She pushed herself off of her chair and faced out the window, looking at the sunny weather outside. "This is Illium. Anything I say is probably being recorded."

"I see. I'm sorry I questioned you. I'll see what I can do."

"When you hack one, a server will open somewhere nearby for a short time. You can download the data if you hurry." _No apology Liara? What happened to you?_ _I miss the old, innocent you._

I nodded and began to stand up. "I'll get this done Liara. Oh and there is someone I'd like you to meet." Liara arched her brow markings and I stepped out and grabbed Shepard by the arm, who resisted. "Come on!" I gritted between my teeth. I pushed Shepard inside Liara's office and Liara's eyes widened once more.

"Sh-Shepard?" Liara gasped and Jane tried to hide in a corner. Liara walked over and began reached for her hair, only to pause and lower her hand. "You look...different."

I smiled at the exchange. _Well, I think she'll be okay. _"I'll leave you two to talk. I'll be back in a few minutes Doc."

**Few seconds before...**

**Illium - Liara's Office - Commander Shepard - 1240 hours**

"Sh-Shepard?" Liara jumped from her seat and walked over in a hurry. For a second, I thought she would flare her biotics and attack me for even daring to come and see her. She lifted her hand and I flinched my eyes shut, expecting a slap...or something. I felt a hand running through my black hair and I began to slowly open my eyes.

"You look...different." She said softly. I looked up and down at her body and immediately felt butterflies in my stomach. _Her body has changed._

"I'll leave you two alone to talk." Charlie smiled, "I'll be back in a few minutes Doc." The door closed after Charlie exited and I looked down in shame. _I...I don't think I can look at you. I don't deserve to look at you._

"Shepard?" Liara bent down but I looked away. She huffed. "After all this time and you are still stubborn and do not wish to talk to me."

"I..." I said softly.

"You what?" Liara said coldly, "You are sorry? I risked my life trying to get the Commander back and you can't even say thank you?"

Tears began to fall don't my face. I opened my mouth but no words came out initially. "I'm sorry Liara..." I collapsed on the ground in sobs. "I don't know what I am doing here! I can't...I can't!" I shook my head, rocking back and forth.

"You can be impossible sometimes!" Liara raised her voice at me, causing me to sob even harder. A few minutes seemed to pass by until I saw from the corner of my eyes that Liara crouched beside me. "I hate seeing you cry. Look at me." She said softly. "Jane, look at me." Liara repeated when I hesitated. I looked up and connected my eyes with her beautiful sapphire eyes.

"I missed you."

I gasped at her words and gasped once more when she leaned towards me, giving me a kiss. Feelings need, passion, warmth over took me and I pushed her down on the floor, lying on top of her. "I've missed you too."

"I've been waiting for you for the past two years, hoping and praying to the goddess that you would find your way back to me."

My fingers caressed her cheek and smiled. "You mean, you haven't moved on?"

Liara shook her head. "Never, did you?"

I smiled and shook my head as well, "Never. You are my one and only Liara." My lips kissed hers as my hands trailed down her body. I firmly held her newly curvaceous breasts, "This is a change." Liara giggled and hid her face from me. I kissed her purple lips one more. "I love you Liara. Come with me."

Liara frowned and softly shook her head. "I wish I could but there is something I need to do." I rolled over and sat, giving her a worrying look. "When I helped regain Charlie's body, I had a help from a drell. Feron is his name. He worked for the Shadow Broker and told me about the exchange between the Shadow Broker and the Collectors. I didn't trust him at first but when he stayed behind so I could escape..." Liara began to shed tears. "I just know he's being tortured by the Shadow Broker. I have to find him."

"I'll send you whatever information you need if we come across something out there."

Liara smiled, wiping her tears away and pecked my cheek. "Thank you Shepard."

"Anytime, love." I smiled back. The door swished opened and Charlie stepped in.

"Ah looks like things are back to normal?" He smiled.

Liara and I looked at one another and then back at Charlie. "Yes." I stood up and turned to help Liara up from the floor.

"Well that's good." Charlie smiled us once more before turning towards Liara. "I've got all the information you need. I've read the terminals and but there is one problem."

"Yes?" Liara pressed.

"None of the suspects fits as the so called 'Observer'"

"What?" Liara breathed. "What are you talking about?"

Charlie handed her a datapad. She quickly grabbed it from his hands and looked at the information. "The texts all point towards a female. You said your assistant gave you the information?"

Liara paled, "Yes...Goddess, Shepard are you armed?"

"I've got a pistol yes why?"

Without answering, Liara pressed her something on her desk. "Nyxeris, could I see you for a moment?"

Moments later, the asari assistant came through the door. "Yes Miss T'Soni?"

"Don't play games with me Nyxeris. I have now discovered you are a double agent for the Shadow Broker."

Nyxeris smirked. "About time. Took you long enough you pureblood bitch!" Nyxsris and Liara flared their biotics and began to attack one another.

Nyxeris pulled her hand back and swung but Liara effortlessly dodged and countered with an uppercut, sending the other maiden to the ground. I looked at Charlie who had blue flames in his hands, ready to intervene if necessary.

"The Shadow Broker is onto you." Nyxeris spat. "He'll come after you and your stupid girlfriend! And I will laugh when he does."

Liara picked her up by the throat and glared at the other asari. "You have much to learn. It's a shame you won't receive further training." In that instant, Liara twisted her neck and killed her.

"Thank you Commander, if you hadn't discovered the real identity of the Observer, I would have been dead." Liara turned to face Charlie who simply nodded.

"It's the least I could do for what you did for me. If there is anything you need, let me know. I'll be glad to help." Charlie nodded towards me, "I'm her boss after all so..."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Alright we should probably get going." I walked towards Liara but I shyly looked down. "Bye."

"Really?" Charlie crossed his arms, "that's your romantic goodbye?" Charlie pushed me towards Liara and was crashed into an embrace, like one of those cheesy romance vids that my mother used to watch.

"Bye." I whispered softly, looking up at her sapphire blue eyes. I quickly kissed her on the lips. "I love you my blue goddess." Liara blushed and I couldn't help myself to kiss her once more. _God she is so cute when she blushes._ I turned on my omni-tool and passed her my contact information. "So we can talk to each other when we miss one another."

"Liara there are a few things I want to ask." Charlie interrupted our tender moment.

"The assassin and Justicar Samara? Yes, Mister Thane Krios has just arrived here a few days ago. Sources tell me he may be targeting a corporate executive. He contacted an asari named Seryna who has an office in the cargo hold transfer levels. Maybe she can tell you where he is. As for Samara, she has currently registered with Tracking Officer Dara. You can find Officer Dara at the transport hub."

"Alright, we'll check this out." Charlie and I began to walk out.

"Wait up Charlie." I turned to face Liara who began typing something on her terminal. "You knew all that from the top of your head?"

For a second, she ignored me as she continued to type on her terminal. Eventually, her eyes looked up at me and her lips turned to a smirk.

"I'm a very good information broker Shepard."

* * *

**I enjoyed writing this chapter and hope you all enjoy reading it.**

**There will be some interactions from time to time before I go ahead and start the Shadow Broker mission. Apart from the Kasumi, that is the only one I have planned but if you would like to see the other DLC added, I might consider it :)**

**As of 11/25, I have began planning a brand new story that I plan on writing once I finish The Two Spectres: Part IV but that is way down the road... but maybe if people want it, I'll begin publishing it sooner? ;) It will be an AU and will follow the characters from these stories in some way, shape or form.**

**Anyways, leave a review to tell me what you thought and Favorite, Follow and Subscribe!**

**Until next time :)**


	11. The Justicar

The Justicar

**November 6, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - CIC - Commander Alonso - 1315 hours**

"Alright listen up everyone!" I spoke through the ship's comms. "Since we are currently installing new armor to the ship's hull. Because of the installation, we won't be able to travel anywhere, which means that we will be on Illium for a few days. We will be recruiting an Asari Justicar and a Drell assassin while we are here and after that, I am giving everyone the rest of the week off. Do whatever you want. If you need anything, please approach me or the XO. The ground team will be alerted in a few hours for further instructions. That will be all."

I looked around at the happy faces throughout the CIC, nodding before turning to Kelly, "Anything new I should be aware of Kelly?"

"Nothing that requires your attention Commander." She took a quick look around, "looks like everyone will be spending some time at the Eternity Bar. Will you be there once you finish your business?" The redhead asked, with hope shining in her green eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Maybe. We will see, anything can happen the rest of the week." I noticed Miranda coming out from the armory. I turned to Kelly and smiled kindly. "Excuse me." I left the redhead and began to join Lawson head inside the elevator.

"Lawson." I said evenly with a curt nod. I pressed a button to my cabin, unknowingly by the perfect Miss Lawson.

"Commander." Miranda replied professionally as the door to the elevator began to close.

I huffed, "I'm surprised you can keep professional around me sweetheart." I teased, inching closer to my girlfriend. Miranda rolled her eyes and pushed me away.

"Your ego is getting on my nerves."

"Oh? Is it? I thought you liked my suave and confident approaches."

"Hardly." Miranda scoffed, causing me to chuckle. The door opened and I grabbed her by the hand, pulling her towards my cabin.

"God, don't you do anything productive?" Miranda looked at my cabin in disgust, clothes spread all over the floor, piles of coffee cups and data pads piled on top of each other on my desk and table near the sofa.

"I feed the fish?" I responded innocently, scratching my shoulder nervously.

"Well thank God for that! They would surely be dead by now."

I gasped mockingly, "You wound me Miri. Do you not have faith in saving my fish?"

Miranda placed and hand on her hip, glaring at me before shaking her head and flaring her biotics to part away some of my shirts piled on my leather sofa. "So, who are you going to recruit first?" She asked as she sat, crossing one leg over the other.

"Samara, no question but I wanted your input on something...since you are my XO and all." I sat beside her, resting my feet on the coffee table. Miranda nodded wordlessly to let me continue. "Why don't we kill two birds with one stone?" Miranda arched her right brow curiously and I continued further. "Have Jane go and recruit Thane while I recruit Samara, we'd get done easier and as a result, a few extra hours of downtime."

"I don't see why not." Miranda nodded, "Have you spoken with Shepard about it?"

I shook my head, "Not yet. I'm sure she will agree but I wanted to run it by you first." Miranda seemed to smile at that. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing." Miranda crossed her arms and smiled. _Shutting me about again huh? Fine._

I sighed deeply in frustration and began cleaning up my quarters a bit.

"Ah, you are finally becoming useful Commander." Miranda teased with a wink as she watched me.

"Yeah whatever," I rolled my eyes. "Would you like me to take off my shirt for you?" I said in a soft tone.

"Certainly wouldn't hurt." Miranda shrugged.

"Now who is feeding my 'ego'" I smirked. "I better get some sort of reward for this." I muttered under my breath.

"The reward is being able to be organized like a normal person." She retorted. A couple of minutes of me picking up my clothes from the floor, bed and sofa, I sent them down the laundry chute. I looked around and all that was left was the mound of coffee cups. _Ugh, I'll do those another time. _ I sat next to Miri once more and rested my head in her lap, facing the large fishtank on the wall.

"I'm tired." I sighed, closing my eyes.

"From that?" Miranda laughed, "You are incredible."

I smiled, "I know." I began running small circles on top of her toned thigh while her hands ran through my hair. We stayed like that for awhile, enjoying each other's company, sharing a comfortable silence.

"So..." Miranda spoke, "I assume that Shepard and Liara's reunion was successful?"

I hummed, smiling, "It was." I turned my body to look up at her beautiful face. "The look on Liara's face was priceless. It was a shame I didn't take a picture." I reached up and wiped a strand of hair obstructing over Miranda's left eye.

"You are so beautiful." I said lovingly. I sat up and leaned in to give my lover a long, lovingly, tender kiss. "Any paperwork that needs to be done?" I asked just above a whisper.

"I'm finished for now, actually. Why?" Miranda tilted her head and I smiled.

"Let's take a nap. I want you here with me." I grabbed her hand and led her to my bed. Miri lied down on the bed and I soon followed. I wrapped my arms around her petite frame as close as our bodies allowed. I leaned over and kissed her shoulder.

"Who are you taking with you?" Miranda asked.

I stayed silent for a bit, thinking about the mission. "Well there is you of course." I paused again, "Maybe Garrus, Kasumi and Jack." Miranda stiffened once I mentioned Jack's name. Her body slivered in my grasp in order to face me.

"Why Jack?" The XO glared and I couldn't help but grin.

"She's a biotic and very powerful." I touched the tip her nose, giving the beautiful woman a wink. "I won't let her touch you."

She rolled her eyes and turned her head away from me with disgust. "I can take care of myself Chuck."

"Then stop complaining and go to sleep." I snuggled into her and closed my eyes, humming until I fell asleep.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Shepard's Quarters - Commander Shepard - 1645 hours**

After talking with Mordin in his tech lab for a few hours and eating late lunch, I began to pace around in my quarters, touching and biting my bottom lip, reliving Liara's violet lips on mine in my mind. I smiled and stopped, turning to face my personal terminal. I bit my lips, hoping to stop my urges. _It's only been a few hours since we talked and I already miss you. _I walked over and sat on the chair, logging into the extranet and began to call Liara.

I waited for five seconds before there was a beep, signaling the call was accepted. A second later, my beautiful blue asari immerged on my computer screen. "Hello Shepard." Liara smiled, "I was just about to call you. I miss you already."

I blushed and giggled, "I was just saying the same thing. I'm sorry if I disrupted you...or...I should probably go"

"No!" Liara yelled, "It's quite alright. I was wondering if you wanted to..." Liara wringed her hands together nervously and began to pace back and forth.

"To go out?" Liara nodded shyly. "I'm sorry but I can't. I'm awaiting _orders_ from Charlie." I rolled my eyes and dragged the word orders.

"I'm sure he is busy." Liara grinned and it took me a second to catch on. My mouth opened with shock,

"Liara!"

"What?" She asked defensively.

"I can't believe you said that." I covered my mouth with my lips to suppress a laugh.

"I know everything Shepard." Liara shrugged with a smirk still plastered on her lips.

"Well if that's the case..." I crossed my arms and looked at my asari with amusement, "what am I thinking?"

"I may be an information broker Shepard but I am not telepathic." I began to counter, only to be interrupted by my love. "and no that is not how melding works."

"Shepard, Commander Alonso would like to see you in Starboard Observation Room." EDI called through the comms.

I frowned and sighed. "Alright, I'll be right there." I turned to face Liara. "I'm sorry love but I have to go."

"It's alright. I love you Shepard."

I smiled weakly. "I love you too Liara. Talk to you soon." I terminated the call with a grunt and headed to see Charlie.

Once inside, I found Charlie in a mantis pose, meditating. Biotics flowed through him in a pulsing motion like I have seen many times before. I sat on one of the long benches beside him, waiting for him to speak, knowing that he didn't like when I interrupted his 'alone time'.

"I want you to take care of Thane while I go recruit Samara." He spoke minutes later after his biotics disappeared. "Take Grunt, Amanda and Mordin with you. Zaeed is over at Eternity...getting drunk so he isn't fit for duty."

"Why are we doing that?" I asked, "It's a good idea but I'm a little curious."

"Well, I thought you might like to see Liara for...I don't know six days with no missions to do while here on Illium." Charlie grinned and my brows shot up intrigued. Charlie laughed, "I thought that might get you interested. We kill two birds with one stone with this; and we get an extended shore leave if we split up and do this in one day."

I nodded in agreement. "When do we begin?"

"Everyone is ready to go. Just waiting on you."

"Okay!" I shot up, pulling Charlie up from the floor and towards the elevator. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

**Illium - Transport Hub - Commander Alonso - 1700 hours**

_You know, I now regret picking team members that hate each other's guts._ I rolled my eyes and ignored most of Jack and Miranda's back and forth banter since, after separating from Shepard and her squad. I tried to convince Jane to take the young biotic woman with her but Shepard simply shrugged off and laughed away, wishing me luck.

"...Well whatever _princess_. Suit yourself." Jack smirked and I stopped dead in my tracks, causing Jack to bump into my back. "What the fuck? Why did you stop!"

I turned around and glared at the tattooed woman. "That is enough! From both of you!" I looked at Miranda with equal venom, then back at Jack. "Can't you two just shut the hell up and act like adults?" I turned heels and began to walk away, only to turn back and face the two women. "If I hear another word from you two, I'll send you back to the Normandy and you'll be cleaning the shit out of the restrooms. Are we clear?"

The two frowned but nodded, "Yes-"

"-Whatever."

I rolled my eyes and turned to face Kasumi and Garrus who both had a look of amusement. I glared at them as well, "I'm glad you two find this so funny. You two are next." The Turian and the thief straightened and followed me as I made way towards the Tracking Office...only to catch the eye of a familiar face sitting on a bench near the entrance of the office with her head in her hands.

"Shiala?" The asari looked up at me and smiled, standing up to greet me in a hug. _The last time I saw her, she had a light-ish purple skin but now it's green? _I observed her facial markings that complimented her face. It made her look threatening and beautiful at the same time.

"Hello Commander, it has been quite a long time since I last saw you."

I smiled and nodded, "It has. What brings you here? And why are you green? You aren't a clone are you?" I asked as I cautiously back away.

Shiala smiled and shook her head. "I can assure you that I am myself and not a clone. I am actually here on business, trying to help Zhu's Hope with a problem."

"Oh? How is the colony holding up after we killed the Thorian?"

"We have rebuilt almost the entire colony. We had spent the last two years scavenging useful scrap materials from the geth ship you and Commander Shepard destroyed. ExoGeni is still on the planet but are working back in their headquarters...along what was left of the Thorian."

"Please don't tell me they are still studying the thing? Hasn't that company learned their lesson?" I said between gritted teeth. _If I have to go back to Feros and deal with this... ugh! I don't really want to think about it. That place gave me the creeps._

"The Thorian was destroyed Commander and ExoGeni has been very helpful towards the colony. They have been doing everything possible to keep us safe."

"You mentioned you are having trouble? Want any help?" I asked.

Shiala nodded gratefully, "I would appreciate that very much Commander. Some of the colonists have health problems due to long exposure of the Thorian. We hired a medical survey group from Baria Frontiers to do medical scans on the colonists." Shiala looked down in shame and soon began to pace. "However, the medical contract apparently allows the company to perform invasive medical procedures without our consent. Baria Frontiers offer medical scans and deliver treatment next to nothing."

Garrus huffed and shook his head in disbelief. "Sounds too good to be true."

"That is what I thought at first yes but you have to understand how desperate we were to find a cure for the colonists."

"Can they force the procedures?" I asked.

"No," Shiala quickly shook her head, "but they can declare a breach of contract, which means we are responsible for the full price we would have paid normally." The green asari pinched her nose and breathed deeply. "We have just gotten back on our feet but there is no way we can pay them."

"What kind of health problems are we talking about here?" Garrus asked, finding interest in the conversation.

"Mostly headaches or muscle spasms. Symptoms that the colonists had suffered while in control of the Thorian. Occasionally, one colonists would approach another Thorian victim and experience a heat or pain sensations. We believe that the Thorian's parasitic spores are what is causing this.

"I can see why you would want it studied and cured." I said softly.

"I am glad that you understand our situation." Shiala smiled but it quickly disappeared. "And there is this." She pointed at her skin. "This is my health problem. A few months after the Thorian was killed, my skin pigment changed and my biotics became unstable. I...I am having vivid dreams...of...of the time I was with the Thorian...wrapped into that cocoon. It is disconcerting."

I breathed deeply and frowned in pity. I inched closer and stroked Shiala's shoulder, gaining a week smile from the asari. "I'll talk to the survey group." I said calmly.

"I...I appreciate that Commander."

I bowed and walked up to the Baria Frontiers kiosk, finding an asari matron shooting daggers at me. "I saw your conversation _human!_ You are here to complain about the contract those colonists from Feros signed. I suggest you leave. Your life is short! Do not waste what time you have to pester me."

_Wow what a xenophobic bitch!_ I glared back at the asari. _I can tell this is going to be a pain in the ass._ "Why are you insisting on these tests? What use could they _possibly_ be?" I lifted my arms dramatically.

"Their use is not your concern. A legal, binding contract was signed." The asari huffed annoyingly, "All of you: Humans, Turians, Salarians, Volus. You _all_ come here. Then you complain that our laws don't suit you. The galaxy would be a better place if nobody but the _asari_ had ever dragged themselves out of the primordial muck!"

_Relax Charlie! Stay Calm!_ I reminded myself as she spewed her nonsense. "You really think this contract is legal? Maybe Illium's contract analysts should look it over."

"You ignorant _yokel!_" _I am losing my patience_! I said to myself as she began. "I was negotiating contracts before your ancestors were still burning witches and enslaving each other. I haven't lost a dispute in seventy years! So go ahead and dig yourself a hole."

"Okay why all the hate lady?" Garrus asked.

"I thought asari enjoyed the diversity in the galaxy. Isn't that why they mate with other races?" Kasumi butted in.

"Pft!" The asari spat. "That is a shortsighted mistake perpetrated by the same self-hating Thessian whores who spawned the hateful term 'pureblood'. We hardly need alien DNA. A little radiation would suit us perfectly. You people don't provide diversity! No new insight! No advancement! You bring chaos and death! Ugh!"

"The salarians unleashed the rachni upon us, then unleashed the Krogan to correct their mistake. Then the Turians," She glared over at Garrus. "who are eager to bomb every problem away? Or the humans!" She turned to Miranda, Kasumi, Jack and I, "The _new_ arrivals who already think they should be in charge? Every war," her voice began to soften, almost to the point where she was in the verge of tears. "Every war that has started has been caused by your people. My people's deaths are in your hands."

And then it hit me. _She lost someone special. _My glare softened to form a frown as I walked closer to the Baria Frontiers representative. "This sounds personal ma'am. Who are we talking about here?" I asked softly.

The asari began to weep, "The mother of my daughters was killed on the quarian homeworld during the initial geth uprising. My...my daughters the-they died when the Citadel was attacked. One worked in the embassy while the other worked for Shi'ara the consort."

"Why was your bondmate on Rannoch?" I asked.

The asari smiled somberly in reminiscence, "She was studying the Quarians. Not their technology but their music. She loved all their art."

"The Quarians do have a very beautiful art style." Kasumi nodded in agreement. "I have a few of their paintings and sculptures that I stol-I mean bought." I rolled my eyes at the thief.

"I think that is where my daughters got it from. They enjoyed being around people." The asari began to weep once more.

"They sound like wonderful people. The galaxy is lesser for their loss." I said sympathetically.

"Yes...it is..."

"Do you think they would approve of you doing this?" I asked.

"I...I-I'm not...I didn't...Oh Goddess..." The matron stepped back until she reached the balcony, then slumped down on her knees in defeat. I walked over to her and offered my hand which she took. I pulled her up and hugged her.

"I'm sending an emended contract. No more tests. No more fees. The galaxy has seen enough chaos and pain. I have no reason to add to it." She looked up at me and smiled sadly, "Thank you human. For everything."

"Wow...I'm impressed." Miranda looked with raised brows and I smirked.

"Aww look, she's wet." Jack crossed her arms and smirked.

"Jack!" I glared daggers at the woman. I sighed and rolled my eyes. _This is fantastic. _"Come on, let's talk to Shiala and then we'll head out."

I walked over to the green asari who had a wide smile on her face as she looked at her omni-tool. "You did it!" She looked up at me with tears of joy. She ran to me and gave me a hug. "I just go the revised contracts. Thank you Charles, you saved our colony again. I do not think I could have...Is it always like this?" She ended the embrace and turned away, still sobbing. "Is yesterday's problems always lingering in some new form?"

I inched closer and touch her shoulders to comfort her. "You can do anything you want if you set your eyes on it. You have the power to make a difference, Shiala. Not everyone does."

"I..." Shiala sighed. "I suppose you are right. I can't let them down. I won't. I'll keep doing everything I can." Shiala turned, stepping forward and touched my shoulder affectionately. "Maybe sometime when I'm not organizing the colony and you are not doing...whatever it is you do..." Shiala's hand ran up and touched my cheek and smiled. I smiled in return as I watched the asari leave, only to remember that Miranda was standing next to me. _Oh shit._

"You and I will have a _chat_ later Commander." Miranda warned and she brushed her shoulder to mine, heading towards Dara's office.

"Great." I mumbled under my breath.

"Ah don't worry Chuckles. She'll be fine." Kasumi patted me on the back and joined Miranda.

I turned to Garrus and shrugged, "Women are so jealous." Garrus laughed, shaking his head and we walked inside Officer Dara's office.

The asari turn on in chair and smiled. "Hello, can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, I am looking for a justicar. Her name is Samara." I responded and the asari stood up in panic.

"Wait why? Did she kill someone already!"

I chuckled and silence her by bringing up my hands. "No, I'm here to recruit her on my team. The asari warrior and I go a long way back."

Dara breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down on her chair. "Thank the goddess. She went to a commercial space port a few hours ago. You may go to one of the terminals in the parking lot over there and call a cab. I'll send you the coordinates."

I bowed with a smile. "Thank you."

**Twenty minutes later...**

"_You have arrived!"_ The synthesized voice said as the cab touched down at the port. Everyone stepped out of the cab and stretched after an uncomfortable ride.

"Where do you think you are going?" An asari tailed a Volus with his two turian bodyguards. The asari wore Illium police uniform. No facial markings expect for her grainy looking crest.

"I am taking my goods to Omega, detective." The Volus replied calmly.

"I don't think so! At least not until _I_ solve this murder."

"But I had nothing to do with that. It was those merc thugs that _you,_" the Volus pointed at the detective, "can't seem to get rid of."

"Hmph! The victim was your business partner. I am not ruling you out. I will let you know when you can leave merchant."

"But what about that Asari Justicar that showed up? Everyone says she might go crazy and start shooting."

I began to laugh at his statement and all four bodies looked at me. "Come on you have to say that statement is just stupid. Asari Justicars only shoot and kill the unjust."

The asari nodded and turned to look back at the Volus. "That's right and since you are _innocent_, I am sure you have nothing to worry about. Now stay put and don't even try to run away." The asari turned and began walking towards me.

"Nice guns." She smirked, "Detective Anaya what can I do for you..."

"Alonso, Commander Charles Alonso."

"Ah, pleasure to meet you. I've heard you did something to save the council."

I nodded and exchanged handshakes. "That's right, I am looking for Justicar Samara. She and I go a way back and I need her on my team."

"Justicars usually work alone. When have you worked with her?"

"A few years ago when I was transferred to Thessia. She taught me Asari culture and every biotic power I know."

"I see. Well normally, Justicars do not refuse handling impossible missions."

"Well we got that covered-."

"-She'll like our mission then." Miranda and Jack said in unison. The two turned to each other and threw daggers at each other through glares. I sighed and pinched my nose.

"Well I'll help you out. She's following up on a murder, investigating a crime scene."

"I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously."Why are you so interested in getting Samara out of your district."

Anaya sighed and rubbed her shoulder. "My bosses want to detain her because they are worried she will cause some sort of cross-species incident." She shrugged her shoulder and shook her head.

"Justicar code won't let her be arrested." I say, shaking my head as well.

The detective nodded. "Correct. If I try, she'll have to kill me. I would like to continue living."

"Your superiors are sending you to certain death for no good reason. You were right to disobey."

"Wait, we can disobey suicidal orders? Why wasn't I told?" Garrus piped in.

"That's about twice a day." Jack agreed.

I sighed and slapped my hand on my forehead. "I'm surrounded by children." I turned my head to face them. "At least I'm going with you."

"That still doesn't help." Kasumi added grimly.

"Shut it!" I ordered before turning back to the detective. "How can we get to Samara?"

Anaya turned to face my direction, "Go around the corner of my station and head left towards the police line. I'll send word to let you in. Be careful, Eclipse mercs are all over the place."

_Well that will be fun..._"Thank you detective." I nodded curtly before turning to my squad. "Let's go."

We jogged over towards the guards by the police line, who let us in without incident. I drew my pistol and everyone else pulled out their weapons. I stepped on a datapad that had information on shipments that were being stolen by a person named 'Thax'. _We will deal with that later. _I gave the datapad to Kasumi who slid it in one of her pockets.

We walked through the narrow alleyways quietly, not wanting to get ambushed.

"Contacts around the corner." Kasumi whispered before we stacked up behind the wall.

"Alright," I whispered after taking a quick look up ahead. Ten targets: Three mechs, six soldiers and one centurion. "Kasumi, I want a flashbang right down the middle. I want all of them blind." Kasumi nodded and waited for further orders.

"Garrus, fire a couple of proximity mines. Jack, blow the mechs up with a shockwave and Miranda, overload the centurion for me. We'll take care of her together."

Everyone nodded and I counted down from three. At two, Kasumi disappeared behind her cloak and quickly followed by a flash and by three, everyone popped out and followed their orders. Garrus took down four with a proximity mine, Jack destroyed all three mechs plus two soldiers with her shockwave ability and Miranda knocked down the centurion's shield. I threw a singularity that launched the asari up in the air defenselessly and Miranda followed up with a warp that disintegrated the asari. I glanced at Miri who had an amused smirk on her face.

"I never get tired of seeing that." I said to her and she got the double meaning by responding with a slow, sexy wink.

"All clear!" Jack announced and we kept marching on. We hit another police line. We walked into an open area and were greeted by a flying eclipse merc that collided into me and Miranda, sending us toppling on the floor.

The both of us groaned in protest and I flared my biotics and shot the merc out from us, throwing her out the window and into her deadly fall below. "The fuck was tha-oh..." I looked up above and saw an asari in a maroonish suit that accentuated her curves. A golden-plated crown and necklace that complimented her pale blue skin nicely. _Samara. _She was chocking another asari, with her blue biotics flaring around her.

"Tell me what I need to know and I will spare you. Where did you send her?" Samara said in her low voice.

"You think I would betray her? I love her!" The asari chocked between words.

"The _name_ of the ship!" She said coldly. "Your life hangs on the answer lieutenant."

"You can kill me! But one of us will take you down Justicar!"

Samara threw her down to where we were, causing the lieutenant crashing into cargo boxes. Samara flared her biotics even stronger and glided down to our deck. The lieutenant began to crawl backwards, only to be held down by Samara's red high heeled boots, jamming into the merc's throat.

"What was the name of the ship she left on?" My master asked once more.

The weakened asari groaned and spat. "Go to hell!"

"Find piece in the embrace of the goddess!" Samara twisted the woman's neck and lifted her face to see me. She gasped and approached me. "Charles! You are alive?"

I smiled and bowed my head, "Hello Samara. It's good to see you. Cerberus rebuilt me to fight the reapers. I'm here to recruit you."

"I see...You have caught me at a troubling time. I am looking for Morinth."

My skin began to crawl and I felt my body going cold. "Morinth resurfaced? Damn her!"

"Who is Morinth?" Garrus asked.

I turned to him and began to explain, "She is an Ardat-Yakshi and... one of Samara's daughters. Samara and I had her cornered when she came to Thessia." I huffed, "Arrogant bitch. She escaped after seducing an alliance soldier that was on vacation. She stole his shuttle and disappeared."

"Until now," Samara added, "She was here on Illium for a few weeks. I almost had her." She looked down at the body on the floor, "But the Eclipse sisters smuggled her off world. I must find the name of the ship she left on before the trail goes cold."

"I wish you were willing to go with the Commander, Justicar. I have been ordered to detain you if you won't leave."

"You risk a great deal with following orders detective." Samara walked over towards the detective with finesse. "My code however says that I must cooperate for one day, then I must continue with my investigation."

Anaya shook her head no. "I'm afraid I won't be able to release you that soon."

"You will not be able to stop me." Samara quickly replied.

"Samara..." I said sternly and I touched her shoulder. "Go with the detective. I'll find the name of the ship." Samara nodded and began walking with the detective back to the station.

"Talk with the Volus merchant Pitne For. He is tied into all of this. Eclipse mercs are trying to kill him." Samara stopped and turned to face me. "Thank you Charles."

"I'm glad to help. Anything to catch that witch." I ordered my squad to follow me and found the Volus looking at some datapad in front of cargo containers, his guards nowhere to be seen.

I cleared my throat and the Volus turned swiftly and looked up at me. "Oh! Hello Earth-clan. If you are interested in weapons, I have a large collection...unfortunately, I am not open for business."

"I could give a shit about the stuff you have to sell. I want answers Pitne For and I want them quick." I gritted between my teeth. _This guy is surrounded by filth._

"I have no idea who you are Earth-clan. I hardly disclose-"

I rolled my eyes and drew my Carnifex pistol at the volus. "You were saying weasel face?"

"Oh no! Please! Please put that gun away. I'll collaborate, I swear!"

"Talk. Now!" I holstered my gun in an old human cowboy fashion.

"I...well I smuggled a chemical into Illium that boosts biotic powers in combat. It is also toxic."

"Hm. Let me guess," Miranda crossed her arms and cocked her hip that made me look up and down her curvaceous body. "you forgot to mention that _little _detail to the Eclipse and they are now hunting to kill you."

"Well I...No-Yes." Pitne For looked down in defeat.

"Well it looks like you're fucked." I smirked, causing Jack to burst into laughter.

"You humans have...weird sayings." The volus blinked multiple times. "But I know that there is something you need. Maybe we can work some sort of deal."

"Get us to the Eclipse base." I said in a demanding tone.

"Hmm. I do have a pass they issued me to bring my goods in. I happened to make a copy of such key. Here, be careful. Each sister commits a murder to earn her uniform. They are _all_ dangerous." I swiped the key card from the Volus' slimy hands and turned towards the elevator.

"How do want this handled?" Garrus asked as we stepped into the elevator.

"I want every room we come across to be cleared. Search every terminal, every datapad. We need that name of that ship."

The door opened and we drew our weapons, eliminating a LOKI mech that was in stand-by mode. We rounded the corner and one of the volus' toxic containers exploded right before us.

EDI came through the comms, "Commander, my scans confirmed that contaminant _is_ toxic and will boost biotic powers. Though, even in limited exposure, it will cause extreme damage. Recommend limited exposure."

_Damn it! _"Thank you EDI. How is Shepard's squad doing?"

"They are making progress moving up the Dantius tower." EDI replied.

"Enemies in front!" Miranda shouted and all biotics, with me included, ducked to cover as Garrus stayed back with his eyes looking through his sniper scope and Kasumi hid in her cloak.

_Dantius? Where have I heard that name before? _"Dantius? I think I heard that name before." I narrowed my eyes as I popped my head out of cover. I stepped into the red cloud of the toxic substance, flaring my biotics and immediately feeling the surge of increased power flow through me. I biotically charged between two soldiers, making one stumble and the other ready to counter with a punch. The punch connected and I furiously pushed the a soldier over the balcony, hearing her scream to her death. _Fucking bitch._

"The Drell assassin has been hired to assassinate Nassana Dantius. She was a diplomatic emissary on the Citadel but her license was revoked almost a year ago." EDI explained.

The one that was dazed by my charge began to recuperate and tried hit me with a punch of her own. I ducked under, grabbing my knife from the side of my boot and dug it into the woman's throat. Blood sprayed out of the wound, landing on my face. I grimaced and kicked her off and she slumped down like a rock. I turned and ran towards an asari vanguard that was recharging her shields. I hit her with the butt of my shotgun and followed by a pull that sent her flying. Jack finished it off with a shockwave that cause an explosion.

"Ah she's the one who sent Shepard and me to kill her sister in Sharjila." I said as I placed a new thermal clip into my gun, nodding at my team wordlessly and giving a wink Miranda's way.

"Correct." EDI replied.

"Keep me posted." I ordered.

"Logging you out Alonso." EDI acknowledged.

We walked back inside a building, glad to be out of the open and the breezy wind outside. An unlocked door appeared on the right and I signaled Garrus and Miranda to stack up. I looked at Jack and Kasumi and pointed towards a few terminals near the wall. "Take care of those while we clear this room." The two women nodded and quickly went to work and I joined the turian and the human sentinal at the door.

I counted down and we breached the door. _Nothing._ No tables and terminals in the room. I looked around after hearing a feint noise. I brought my finger up to my ear and my two companions nodded. Miranda took two quiet steps to the side and nudged me on the shoulder, then pointed at the floor. I leaned over and saw a tempest on the ground.

"Come on," I nodded my head outside, "Let's go." I slowly walked backwards and I soon heard a sigh of relief. "Hands up!"

An asari in Eclipse armor stood up in panic, arms up in the air in surrender. "Wait! Don't shoot! I didn't fire my weapon once! I only pretended because the other Eclipse sisters were watching!" I lowered my gun and she breathed another sigh of relief. "I thought Elnora the mercenary would be cool but I didn't know what they were really like!" The asari nervously looked at all three of us. Her hand suddenly reached for her gun and all three of us raised ours.

"You chose your side Elnora. You chose wrong." I glared at the asari.

"Screw you asshole!" She shot her Acolyte pistol that clipped my shoulder. I winced in pain that quickly turned to anger and I shot her in return. Garrus and Miranda did the same. Elnora went into a seizure as rounds of bullets logged into her body.

After the merc's body fell dead, I groaned and touched my shoulder. The bullet managed to go through my shields. I removed my hand, to find my glove filled with blood. Miranda grabbed my hand and sat me on a chair. "I'm fine." I lied and began to stand, only to be forced in my chair by Miranda's firm hands.

"You clearly aren't. I would advise you to purchase better shields Commander." Miranda smirked as she quickly removed my chestplate to observe the gun wound.

"Wow, that came off quick." Garrus smirked. Miranda and I quickly looked at him with a glare and he quickly straightened, clearing his throat. "I uhhh...I'll just wait outside."

I sighed in frustration, pinching my nose. "Just get it over with."

"Oh? I though you enjoyed me touching you." The sexy brunette grinned as she opened her med kit.

"Only in the privacy of my quarters Miss Lawson." I said with a smile.

Miranda rolled her eyes, "Are you alright? Do you want to talk about this Morinth?"

I sighed once more. "Not now. Just...let's go. We are wasting time."

Miranda paused as she began applying medigel. "Something happened. Didn't it?" Her voice filled with concern.

"I said I don't want to talk about it." I looked away in anger.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure!" I shouted, causing Miri to jump. _Shit..._ "Sorry. It's just..." I paused and Miranda waited for me to continue my trail of thought but I grabbed my chestplate instead. "Let's keep going. We have a murderer on the loose."

I strapped in my armor and moved out. We came across a terminal and a data that provided proof that Elnora was the killer of Pitne For's partner and that the volus himself was a criminal, something that the detective will appreciate no doubt.

The team and I walked down a large hallway and noticed a volus standing by a vending machine. I holstered my gun and walked over to him. The volus slowly turned around and bumped into me. He stumbled back, waving his arms to regain his balance. I looked at Jack who simply shrugged in reply.

"I am I biotic god!" The volus actually flared, causing me to lift my brows in surprise. _Must be the toxin in those canisters. _"I think things...and they happen," The volus walked forward, spinning and waving his arms up in the air. I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. _Great. I don't fucking have time for this. _"Fear me lesser creatures!"

"You need help." I said plainly and the volus looked up at me, blinking his eyes as if I had just insulted him.

"You need help! You are standing before the greatest biotic ever! They may laugh when I fall over but they don't know what I know." He made his way towards Miranda. "That I am amazingly powerful. Fear me!" Miranda arched her brow and crossed her arms, almost comically. I found it kind of cute when she looked up and me and shrugged her shoulders.

I found myself to giggle and looked down at the volus with a smile, "Yeah good luck with...whatever."

"Wait Earth-clan. You are about to witness greatness. The leader of the Eclipse mercenaries is in the next room. I will tear her apart with my powers. Captain Wasea will beg for mercy! You will see!"

"Take a nap buddy. You'll feel better." _And live to see another day._

"Are you mad?" The volus turned to face the large room ahead of me. "I'm unstoppable. She will-"

_Okay this was fun and all but I'm losing my patience. _I looked down and gave him a slight nudge on his back. The volus fell on the ground like a sack of potatoes. He stood up moments later and began to stumble.

"But...biotic god? I'm...What was I saying?" His words slurred and I brought my hand to my lips to hid my chuckle. Miranda and Kasumi were doing the same. Garrus simply stared and Jack rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I'm tired...You may be right. Yes...I'm tired. I'll go for a nap." The volus walked the way we came in, clearly unfit to walk as she was under the influence. "I'll destroy the universe later."

"So much for godhood." Garrus snorted as the door closed behind the Volus. Everyone broke into a laughing fit.

"God that was pathetic." Jack said between huffs.

"Poor little guy." Kasumi giggled.

"Alright, let's finish this and go home." I said after some deep breaths.

The Eclipse leader stood by a desk, reading a datapad. She peered her eyes up at us and grinned. "Everything has gone to hell since we smuggled that ghastly creature on board. First a Justicar shows up, now you." She tossed the data pad on the desk and flared her biotics. "At least I can tear your limbs one by one!" She lifted a toxic container that exploded near me. I found myself feeling weak. I flared my biotics but they faded just as quickly as they appeared.

_What the hell?_

I tried again but nothing happened this time. I fell to the ground, my legs barely able to support my weight. I felt something under my nose. I raised my hand and found a pool of blood on my palm. The next thing I noticed was a large crate heading towards me. I tried to flare my biotics and create a barrier but it was of no use.

The world around me turned black.

* * *

**Hello everyone. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if I left it in a cliffhanger. We won't know what happened for awhile as the next one will be Shepard's mission. :p**

**Let me know what you guys thought of the chapter and if there are any mistakes, let me know and I'll edit them in.**

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**Love you guys. Until next time.**


	12. Thane

**Hello people :)**

**New chapter being posted when I should be sleeping (4:00 AM right now)**

**Anyways I get a _little_ bit carried away with Grunt but you kind of have to right? :p**

**Krogan epicness, Spectre rages and declaration of love ensues (and no #2 and 3 aren't related to one another. That would just be weird and awkward *cough* Dexter and Deb *cough*).**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Thane

**November 6, 2185**

**Dantius Tower 2 - Commander Shepard - 1730 hours**

"Help!" A salarian called out in pain as we entered a room. He was badly injured and needed medical attention. I ran over to him and brought out my med kid.

"Leave him." Grunt spoke with irritation in his voice. "He'll be dead soon."

I ignored him and looked up at the wounded salarian. "What happened?"

"Nassana! She sent mechs after us. They began shooting!" The salarian winced in pain, his voice hoarse. I couldn't help but feel anger. _He's just a civilian! That bitch will pay!_ "We were too slow. It was horrible! Everyone was screaming." The man went into a coughing fit, blood pouring out of his mouth.

"Here," I gave him extra dose of medigel and some pills to combat the pain. "This should ease the pain until help arrives." I looked at Mordin who nodded and began calling for medics to arrive.

"Thank...thank you human. It helps." The salarian panted as the medicine kicked in. "Please, find the other workers. Help them."

"Are there more in the higher floors?" I asked, gaining a nod from the salarian as he gingerly began standing up.

"Take this elevator to the upper floors. Nassana is surely in tower one in one of her penthouse suites. The bridge that connects this tower to Tower One is unfinished so you must be careful. Watch out for mercs and mechs. They're everywhere."

I patted his shoulder gently, guiding him out of the room. "Alright. Thank you sir. Stay out of sight. Medics are on their way. If we find more people, we will send them down."

"Thank you again."

I smiled as the salarian walked away. I regrouped with my squad who were waiting for me on the elevator. "Let's kills these bastards."

Grunt grunted and pounded his fists. "I can't wait!"

I rolled my eyes but smiled before the elevator traveled to the penthouse suites. Amanda moved up to scout up ahead. "Alright everyone. Stay alert." I saw in a hushed tone while I waited for Amanda to come back.

"We got mercs up ahead Shepard." Amanda informed as I kneeled in cover next to her. "I count a dozen in this level alone. Sensors tell me there are fifty outside on our way to the bridge."

_Shit. Fifty?_

"Very low odds." Mordin reloaded his tempest smg. "With addition with high winds outside, chances of survival are-" Mordin took a deep inhale of breathe. "problematic."

"Never tell me the odds." I muttered before I reached for my mantis sniper rifle. I lowered the tripod on my sniper and looked through the scope.

_A group of soldiers that are easy pickings for Grunt to take on the left wall. _I swept to the right to look at the rest of the room. _Two centurions patrolling up on the catwalks and another patrolling down on the floor. Three asari and a...Krogan...damn it. Do I even want to put Grunt to go against the Krogan. It'll be Godzilla versus...well Godzi-_

"I got this one!" Grunt roared and charged towards the other Krogan.

I sighed and looked down at the floor, shaking my head back and forth. Too_ late._

"I AM KROGAN!" There was a ground-shattering quake as Grunt picked up the Krogan and drove him outside. There was a comical moment of silence on both sides and I turned to look at Amanda, who shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess our moment of surprise is lost Commander." Mordin stated the obvious.

"Well?" I placed the sniper rifle on my back and reached for my brand new Mattock rifle. "What are we waiting for? CHARGE!" Amanda smirked while Mordin hopped over cover with me with guns blazing. Bullets whizzed by our heads as we ran, countering with shots of our own. Amanda overloaded the shields of the centurions on the catwalks and I took them down with headshots. Their heads snapped back in a satisfying whiplash before they fell. Mordin incinerated the large group on the left. The soldiers flailed their arms as they tried to extinguished themselves. Amanda and I put those that were still alive out of their misery.

Out of nowhere, Grunt came back and tore a hole through an asari vanguard with his claymore shotgun and began to chase around a frightened lone soldier. The two played cat and mouse as we watched. The soldier tripped on a metal pipe on the floor. Grunt finished the job by lifting his large foot and smashed on the soldier's helmet. "Coward." Grunt turned to face me. "The soldiers have been taken care of outside. There are a few left out there for you to tear apart."

"Thanks...I guess." I nod towards Grunt. "Come on then. Let's cross the bridge and find ourselves an assassin."

"Right behind you Shepard!" Amanda said with a smile.

I shook my head and pushed forward. I looked around and saw the mangled bodies that lied lifelessly on the ground.

"Wow! Very impressive Grunt." Amanda looked around in amazement. "Good boy."

"Don't encourage the Krogan Operative Sturridge." Mordin warned as he looked around with worry. "Very inadvisable."

I smirked. "Aww come on Mordin. He's doing a good job. I mean look at him! Isn't he the best Krogan you ever seen?"

Mordin and Grunt stared at one another. Mordin gulped while Grunt laughed devilishly. Mordin glanced back at me. "Point taken Shepard."

"Somebody stop them!" A female voice ordered over a loudspeaker. "Dantius isn't paying you to get killed! Stop the bitch and her petty squad NOW!" Obeying like toys, another gunfight ensued. Combat and Rocket drones began attacking from the air and a few ground troops took cover along the bridge.

"Grunt. Do your thing." I ordered as everyone else took down out the drones."

"Damn it! If you don't kill them, I will kill each and every single one of you myself!" The female voice yelled.

One by one, troops were charged off of the bridge by Grunt. We followed behind our battering ram until the voice of the loudspeaker came into view. An asari commando stood over the balcony.

"Fuck!" The asari cursed and tried to throw every biotic power at us. I took cover behind the wall and switched to my eviscerator shotgun. I went up towards the stairs on my right and found the extremely wounded asari under our Krogan's foot.

"Let her go Grunt." I said sternly once I stood over the asari. Grunt didn't comply and I looked at Grunt. "Grunt. Let her go."

The Krogan huffed but he lifted his leg. "You should be thankful that this battlemaster shows mercy. My other battlemaster would easily dispose of you asari. I suggest you go before I decide to disobey her order." The asari stood up and ran.

Grunt looked up at me with a glare. "Should have let me kill her."

"Not everything is meant to be killed." I patted the Krogan on the arm before walking inside the building.

_Great another elevator. _I sighed and everyone piled up inside.

"Shepard." EDI reached through my earpiece.

"Yeah what's up?"

"Operative Lawson has been successful on recruiting the Justicar."

"Oh good. We should be finished here quickly. We are approaching Nassana Dantius now." I paused. _Why did she say Miranda's name? _"Uhh EDI why did you say Miranda's name?"

"Commander Alonso in unconscious due to over exposure of a toxin. Operative Lawson has taken control of the squad. They are making their way towards the Normandy as we speak."

_Wh-what? No! Damn it why can't this elevator go any faster! _ The door opened and we hurried to the door at end of the hall. Once inside, Nassana, along with four eclipse mercs stood guard.

"Shepard? I thought you disappeared." Nassana stared at me with widened eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint." I crossed my arms over my armored chest.

"Hmm. And now you are here to kill me." The eclipse mercs turned off their gun's safety off and pointed at me. My squad did the same, except for Grunt. _He can take everyone with his fists and head alone._

"Well well well. Aren't you paranoid." I smirked, gaining a scoff from the asari.

"Don't patronize me Shepard. I'm sure you find this very amusing. First you take care of my sister, now you're here after me. Shame your pet human isn't here with you. I would have loved to turn him against you."

"You wouldn't be able to buy him." I snarled.

Nassana laughed. "I'm sure I would have found a way to pay him more than just money."

"In your dreams." I glared.

"So...what happens now?"

"You really think it's me that hired to kill you?" I asked.

"Who else would it be? You're the one who's been killing my men."

I laughed, pointing my thumb towards Grunt. "Actually it was pretty much him on his own. I'm just here looking for someone."

"You expect me to believe that?" Nassana said incredulously. "What is it that you want." Now sounding desperate, "Is it credits? We can make this problem go away."

I acted intrigued but there was no escape for the asari. "What are you offering?"

Nassana smiled. "Double on what you're getting paid for." There was a thud above us that spooked the asari's guards; Nassana didn't seem to notice. "Quadruple if you tell me who hire you." The merc to her left began shifting and Nassana turned to her. "What!"

"I heard something!" The merc said softly, gaining a nervous search from their leader.

"Check all of the exits!" She ordered before turning and pointing at me. "_You!_ You stay put."

As she said that, a body came down a chute behind the two mercs behind them. The drell landed stealthily and snapped one of the merc's neck as he straightened. In that same motion, he reached and punched over the other merc, knocking him out; reaching his armed hand and pointed at the asari commando, killing her instantly. The assassin walked up towards Nassana and looked at me with his obsidian eyes. I heard Nassana gasp before a gunshot was heard. Purple blood spewed out of Nassana's back and the woman gasped once more before the Drell gently laid her down on the desk and placing the woman's hand over her chest.

The Drell backed off at looked at the woman. I stood there with an opened jaw as the man clasped his hands together as if praying. _That was so quick! Jesus christ!_

"He certainly knows how to make an entrance." Sturridge broke the silence. I walked a few steps forwards and looked at the praying Drell.

"I...was hoping to talk to you."

"I apologize Commander Shepard." The man spoke in a low, raspy voice. "but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken."

I huffed. "I know she doesn't deserve it and how do you know my name"

The Drell stayed silent for two seconds before he replied. "Not for her. For me. The measure of the individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you, for instance. All this destruction...the chaos. As for knowing who you are...it was obvious. Everyone knows who you are Commander." I shrugged my shoulders. _I guess that's true. _The drell circled around the desk, walking towards me. "I was curious to see how far you'd go to find me. Well...here I am. My name is Thane Krios"

_Right...okay here it goes. _"The Collectors have abducted entire human colonies. We're going to stop them."

"I see. This would require to travel beyond the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned after traveling beyond the relay."

I chuckled. "True but they told me that it was impossible to go to Illos too."

The Drell clasped his arms behind his back and gave me a small smile. "A fair point. You have the reputation to do the impossible." He looked down and spoke in a soft-ish tone. "This was to be my last job." Thane walked towards the window and looked at the sunset. "I'm dying."

"You're dying? How long do you have?" I asked with a frown.

Thane looked at me and replied, "We can discuss this later on your ship. Though I can assure you, it won't affect my job. Yet."

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Letting me join you is enough. The galaxy is a dark place Commander. I'm trying to make it better before I leave my body. Many innocents died today. I wasn't fast enough and I must atone to the fact." Thane extended his hand and I returned it and gave him a firm handshake. "I will work alongside of you Shepard. No charge."

"Oh good because I'm not the one who is really in charge." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Speaking of which, we must hurry back to the Normandy. My _CO,_" I rolled my eyes, "is hurt and we have to go."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Shepard - 1900 hours**

I froze when I saw Charlie on the bed, hooked up with IVs and a few monitoring devices. I ran over to him, pushing Miranda aside and touched his cheek and I panicked. _What happened?_ Panic turned to rage and I turned to Miranda with a deadly glare.

"What the hell happened!" I yelled at the XO who remained calm.

"My job Commander I suggest you do the same."

"Charles inhaled a combination of a toxin that boosts biotic powers and red sand." Chakwas reported. "I have done everything I can for him. Now we must be patient and wait until he wakes up."

"Red sand?" My voice betrayed me; I pulled a chair and sat beside Charlie. "Damn it!" I turned to face Miranda. "You!" I pushed myself off the chair and dragged Miranda towards the wall. "You were supposed to protect him!"

Miranda flared her biotics and pushed me off of her. "You don't get to yell at me. I did everything I could!"

"And you failed him!" I yelled back. "Get out."

"But-"

I slapped Miranda hard across the face. "I said get out!"

Defeated and tears falling down her face, Miranda left without another word; hiding to the safety of her quarters. _Fucking bitch._

"Shepard..." Karin said softly and I ignored her. I was furious. _If he dies again...no. I won't let that happen. But if he does, Miranda will pay._ "Was that necessary?"

"I don't care Karin. Charlie is in this state because of her." I walked towards Charlie and began to cry. "I can't lose you a second time Charlie...I...I just can't!"

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - XO's Quarters - Operative Lawson -1906 hours**

_Shepard is right. It's all my fault. _"I'm emotionally attached." _If we weren't together, all of this could have been prevented. _I began pacing, tears and anger flowing through me. _I hate her! How dare her slap me. I did everything I could!_

_She wasn't there! She has no right to blame me!_

I sat on the bed and typed a few commands of my omni-tool to look at the camera bug in the med bay, watching Charlie's unconscious form on the bed with Shepard sitting next to him. _That should be me with him. Not that woman. _I crawled into bed and sobbed, thinking at what the Commander would say once he wakes up. _I hurt him. _

"I have to end this. For both of our sakes...and for his well being." I said aloud. "I'm so sorry."

I wrapped my arms around me, pretending that Charlie was holding me.

I never cried myself to sleep so hard in my life.

_**Six Days later...**_

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Alonso - 1745 hours**

I made a low moan. _I feel so weak._

"Charlie?" A familiar voice called out to me. With droopy eyes, I slowly turned my head and found Shepard smiling at me. "Hey. You're awake!" I felt hand on mine giving me a squeeze. "I was getting worried."

"Hey." I smiled weakly, ultimately regretting it. My throat hurt and my lips were dry. "How long was I out?"

"Six days."

_Six days? _"Wow. Didn't even break the record." I smirked as best I could, gaining a small laugh from my friend. "Where's Miri?" I asked.

"Bitch is still hiding in her quarters. She hasn't gotten the balls to come and see you." Jane's voice filled with anger. I know that tone. I've heard it a few times before.

"What did you say to her?" I asked, with a sigh of relief that my voice returned to its normal self.

"Nothing that she didn't deserve." She replied coldly.

"Jane." I glared. "_What_ did you say?"

"I told her that it was her fault you're in this state. That she failed in protecting you."

"Jane!" I yelled, causing her to stiffen. "Go and get her. I want to see her."

"But Charlie-"

"I gave you an order _Commander._" I turned to look away at her. _How could she? _I gripped my chest as if someone was squeezing my heart. _This hurts so much._

"Fine! You want to be with her? I won't stop you. But don't you come to me and tell me that she hurt you. I'll say I fucking told you so." Jane left the med bay and marched towards Miranda's office. Moments later, I watched Jane practically push Miranda out of her room. Miranda flared her biotics and glared at her.

"Don't you fucking push me!" Miranda yelled.

I turned to Chakwas who simply shook her head. "Was it like this since I've been asleep?"

"Yes..." Karin said sadly.

"Get in the fucking med bay NOW!"

By the time the two women walked into the room, I was in tears. "I want you to apologize to Miranda."

"No."

I flared my biotics for intimidation purposes. "_Now!_"

"I don't have to say anything _Charlie. _I'm going to my quarters. I'm done with this shit." Jane stormed out, leaving Miranda and I sharing looks.

I turned to Chakwas and breathed deeply. "Can you give us a moment?"

The doc nodded. "Of course. I'll close the shutters for you as well."

"Thanks doc."

Without a word, Chakwas turned off the shutters and walked out, touching Miranda shoulders affectionately.

"Come here." I said softly. Miranda complied and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Commander I-" Miranda began but I interrupted her with a hungry kiss. Want and need spread through me as my lips touching her soft, perfect lips.

I broke the kiss, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry. Shepard shouldn't have treated you like that. I'm very disappointed with her."

"It's alright."

"No." I replied in a heartbeat. "It's not alright. She told me what she said to you. You couldn't have known the container had red sand. You did everything you could."

"But it wasn't enough! Don't you see?" Miranda jumped out and began pacing. "What if it was worse? What if it was a fatal gunshot? What if...what if you were abducted by the Collectors? I'm your XO and Lazarus project leader. I'm supposed to be protecting you. I can't do that if I'm emotionally attached to my project."

"What are you saying?" I asked, confusion sinking into me.

"Shepard is right. I don't deserve you. We need to stop seeing each other on an intimate level."

"That isn't a solution Miri."

Miranda scoffed, turning her back to me. "Didn't you hear me?"

I nodded. "I did and you are not, I repeat are _NOT_ breaking up with me. Sit."

Miranda swung around and looked at me. "What?"

I scooted on my cot and patted the spot next to me. "Come here." Miranda placed her hands on her hips and stood her ground. I flared my biotics and smirked. "Do I have to make you?" Miranda sighed and walked over and sat once more on my bed.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed her legs and swung them up so her entire body was next to me. I held her closely in my arms. "You're not breaking up with me. Know why?"

Miranda shook her head wordlessly.

"Because I will kill myself if you did. I now begin to understand that there isn't anyone in this galaxy that compares to you. There is nobody here that sees me like you do. Everyone sees me as a savior. A hero. An icon. But you? You don't. You see me as an annoyance." Miranda smirked and closed her eyes, leaning into my embrace and I continued. "You see me for who I really am: Just a man. A man who is willing to do whatever it takes to live his dream. You're my dream Miri." Miranda opened her eyes but said nothing. "I don't want to spend another minute -no- another second without you. I want to make you happy. You're stuck with me Lawson."

Miranda smiled and held me tighter and closed her eyes once more. I began stoking her hair, loving the feeling of her hair on my fingers.

"I love you." Miranda blurted the words out and I took a sharp intake of breath. _She...she loves me?_

"What?" I asked, still shocked by her words.

"I love you." She placed her chin on the palm of her hand and smiled.

_She said it again..._ I breathed inwardly and looked into her beautiful steel blue eyes. "Show me."

We exchanged smiles before we shared a slow, passionate kiss: A kiss that that transcended time and space. There was only us and it was everything I ever wanted.

"Do you have a place here on Illium?" I asked after Miranda broke the kiss.

"I don't. Why?"

"Get us a hotel room. Something nice. I didn't get my shore leave and I want to spend some time with you alone. No Normandy, no missions, _no reports to the Illusive Man _and no Shepard_._ Just you and me."

Miranda raised an inquisitive brow. "When should I make the reservation?"

"Now." I leaned into her to give her another kiss but she placed a hand on my chest.

"But you're still injured."

"I don't care. You gave me implants. Let them do their job."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You can be unreasonable sometimes!"

"Just do it. Don't let me pull rank on you." I smirked.

"Cerberus operatives don't have ranks so that really doesn't work on me." Miranda retorted with a sexy smile.

"Still, you're the XO and I'm the Commanding Officer of this ship. So if I tell you to take your clothes off, you _better_ follow my orders."

"Ugh!" Miranda grimaced, "you're disgusting." I couldn't help myself but laugh. "I'm heading to my office and we'll go. Want me to get some clothes from your cabin?"

"I think I'll manage. Go get ready. Oh and be sure to bring something sexy." I winked.

Miranda rolled her eyes and got out of the bed. She began walking out of the med bay, swaying her hips in an exaggerated motion. "As you wish, _Commander." _Miranda purred, accompanying it with face melting wink.

* * *

**Why Shepard? I mean why hurt my Miri like that D: might be that time of the month? I hope I don't get slapped like that :/**

**I have started another Mass Effect story if you guys haven't checked it out yet. It's a High School AU so if that interests you, be sure to check that out as well.**

**Leave a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter. I am _always_ interested in hearing what my beloved readers thought of my chapters. Don't be shy now :)**

**Until next time!**


	13. A Week Alone: Part 1

**Two chapters in 12 hours? Must be a new personal record :)**

**This time I get carried with one of my favorites shows ever**

**See you on the other side**

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A Week Alone: Part 1

**November 12, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captains Cabin - Commander Alonso - 1810 hours**

After a quick shower, I walked down the small steps and over to my drawer, picking out a simple pair of jeans and a black shirt. I began to close my closet until a black leather jacket caught my eye. I removed it off of my hook at put it on. _It's a perfect fit._ I smiled and grabbed a duffel bag under my bed and began to pack lightly for the next few days.

I heard the door to my cabin opened. "Charlie?" I sighed in disappointment and ignored Shepard and resumed packing, placing a pair of socks in my bag. "Where are you going?" She asked but I continued to give her the silent treatment. "Can you talk to me? Please?" She pleaded and I finally turned around and sat on the bed.

Jane gulped and walked down the steps. "That's close enough Commander." I said coldly. Jane frowned and stopped.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"You're sorry?" I asked baffled. "You're sorry? First of all you should not apologize to me." I sat up and walked towards my closet and resumed my packing.

Jane remained quiet and watched me.

I turned to face her once I placed a plain grey shirt in my bag. "Why must you always judge people I date?" I shook my head. "No that's not the reason I'm angry with you. I'm angry because after all she went through the past two years, you think she's up to no good or something. She _revived _me! I think she deserves far more respect that what you have shown her the past week."

"What she went through the past two years? What about me? I mourned for you too you...you jerk!

I flailed my arms in frustration and turned away from her.

"I had that picture my mom gave you. I cried every fucking night wishing you were still alive."

"Yeah," I scoffed, "And now that I'm here you are trying to make me suffer by yelling at _my_ girlfriend. When have I ever yelled at Liara? Hmmm? I have never! She saved my life Shepard. I would think you would be grateful that she's so smart and talented with her hands." I turned and found myself blushing. "I...uhhh not like that."

"I..." There was a pause before she continued. "I am."

"You certainly have a weird way of showing it." I glared.

"Look, I-"

"Shepard I don't want to hear it right now." I grabbed my duffel back and placed the strap on my shoulder. "I'm leaving for some time off. We can discuss when I return and once you have thought about your actions. I'm leaving Garrus in charge until Miranda and I come back." Jane seemed to frown and look down at her feet.

"You...you don't trust me?"

"I do but I'm just sad that you don't approve of my girlfriend. I'll be back in a week or so. Go and see Liara. That's my final order. I expect an apology to Miranda when we return." Jane nodded and I brushed past Jane; I walked towards the elevator and pressed the button to go to the CIC.

Miranda was waiting for me by the airlock, wearing black pants that that had extra pockets on her side. The pants were tucked by her signature knee high boots. She had a black shirt that still managed to show her curves and a white leather jacket with black striping that went from her shoulders to the bottom of her sleeves.

"Wow, this is different." I smirked.

"You said to wear something sexy." Miranda lifted her chin proudly.

"You didn't disappoint." I walked closer to her, pulling her close to me. Miranda wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a devilish smile, leaning forwards and began biting my ear.

"I settle for nothing but the best." She purred in my ear, causing my body to shiver out of control.

I cleared my throat nervously as I noticed Joker was watching us. "Joker."

"Commander." Our pilot replied with a grin.

"I uhhh...we'll be gone for a few days. I want you to tell everyone that they are relieved to some extra shore leave. Miss Lawson and I will be heading out. I trust that you will keep yourself out of trouble?"

"Of coouursee!" Joker waved his hands dismissively. "You don't have to worry about me."

Miranda and I rolled our eyes and began to head out. "Later Joker."

"Take pictures!"

**Illium - Castle Suites - Commander Alonso - 1820 hours**

Miranda and I wrapped our arms around each other as we made our way towards the front desk of the large hotel.

"Hello Sir and Madame," A human male greeted us with a smile. A handsome looking man from his looks. He talked in a heavy French accent. "Welcome to our glorious hotel. How may I help you this evening?"

"We have a reservation under the name of Sarah Walker." Miranda replied.

"Certainly, let me take a look." The man took a look in his terminal. "Ah yes, of course. Penthouse suite yes?" Miranda nodded. "Excellent!" The man smiled and grabbed two card keys and a brochure. "Here are your keys and here is a brochure for you with information. If either of you require anything, just call for me and I will take care of it."

"Thank you." Miranda reached and grabbed the items. She looked up at me and smiled. "Ready sweetie?"

I arched a brow, taken back by the sudden change in Miranda's demeanor but nodded nonetheless. "Ready sweetheart." Miranda grabbed and pulled on my hand and lead me towards the elevator. She pressed for the top floor then pushed me towards the floor and began kissing me. I pushed her away and looked at her.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Well it's just that you've never behaved this way before." I said as I rested my hands on her hips. "Sarah Walker?"

"It's one of my many cover names."

"I see..." The door opened and I leaned forward and kissed her. "Let's go to our room shall we?" We stood up and walked towards our suite. I slid one of the cards into the key slot and a green light flashed. "After you Miss Walker."

"Oh, such a gentlemen." She teased as she walked in, taking off her jacket. I laughed as I took my first steps into the room. I froze at our room and gasped.

"Holy shit Miri!" I looked around, walking over to one of the loveseats looking out a large window that showed a bright Illium skyline. Buildings and the cars that whizzed by illuminated the city outside. I looked to my left and saw a large aquarium that made the one in my cabin look like child's play. To my right was a bar equipped with various glasses and alcohol sitting on the shelves. A marble countertop bar and wooden stools were laid out near it. "How much was this place?" I asked as I followed Miranda towards the large bedroom that was half the size of the main room. I watched her lazily throw her jacket by the edge of a godzilla-sized bed. A large television screen sat on the wall and I couldn't help but me amazed.

"What this? This is nothing Commander."

"How much?" I asked again.

"Two million credits." She replied. My jaw dropped to the floor. _Two million?!_ "I have money saved up Chuck."

"You don't have to spend that kind of money on me Miri."

Miranda shook her head and walked towards me, wrapping her arms around my neck. She smiled before leaning in to kiss me. "I'm your girlfriend. If I want to spend this much money on someone, might as well be you."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "You never stop amazing me." My stomach began to grumble and I found myself fluster. "I'll go order something for us to eat."

"Good idea." Miranda smiled and kissed me once more. "I'll take a shower."

I watched her disappear into the bathroom, which I'm kind of curious just to see how big it is but my stomach groaned one more time and I stepped out into the large area outside, sitting on the love seat I began calling a pizza place that I read rave reviews about.

"Apollo's pizza! How may I help you?" I young female voice came on the other end.

"Yes hello, I would like to order a large pepperoni and a medium veggie pizza. Everything on it. Oh! And an order of cheese bread."

"Would you like our special marinara sauce with your bread?" the young woman asked.

"Sure why not."

"Alright sir. Can I get an address?"

"It's at Castle Suites. Room 1028."

"Of course sir, your order will be there in...thirty minutes and your total will be twenty five credits."

"Great! Thank you so much." I terminated the call and watched the scenery outside the window. I smiled and sighed in relief as I watched cabs drive by. I remained still for a few minutes before walking back into the bedroom, lying down on the bed and turned on the tv.

"-And in other news, the council dismisses claims that dead spectre Commander Alonso has been spotted talking to them. Sources has told me that the dead spectre called for a meeting in which explained where he has been the last two years since the SSV Normandy SR-1 was destroyed out in the Terminus Systems. The Normandy was scanning for Geth activity in the area when the ship was destroyed. We reached Commander Shepard for comment but refused to talk to us on that matter, two years ago. She has also disappeared. We have reached Councilor Anderson's office but we haven't received a word from him. This is Diana Allers, back to you in the studio."

_Damn it, I can't be on shore leave without hearing this bullshit!_ I flipped the channels until Blasto: The first hanar spectre, was playing. I smiled and sat with my back on the headboard.

"Turn that off now!" Miranda yelled from the bathroom minutes later.

"Wh-why?" I frowned.

"I won't let those vids burn your intelligence Commander. Not if I can help it."

"But they're funny!" I defended the amazing vids. "The first vid is the best of them all."

"Are you talking back to me?" She asked incredulously.

"No..."

"Then do as I say or we go back to the Normandy."

I pouted and turned off the tv and just sat there. _You're no fun. _I grunted and waited for either Miranda to walk out or the pizza to arrive.

**A few seconds before...**

**Castle Suites - Room 1028 - Miranda Lawson**

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I was faced with a silence. _Good, he turned that bloody thing off._ I reached over for a robe and wrapped it around my body. I grabbed a cotton towel on the rack and walked out, beginning to dry my hair off. I saw Charlie with his arms crossed over his chest. I went over and climbed into bed, resting one hand over his chest before leaning to kiss his cheek. He turned his head to face me and gave me a glare. "Don't look at me like that." I frowned.

"Hmph!" Charlie looked away. I arched my brow and narrowed my eyes at him.

_He's upset._ I said to myself. _I know how to fix that._ I smiled devilishly and ran my hand up towards his face while I leaned over so my lips were millimeters from his ear. "Chuck?" I said softly, gaining a shiver from him. I bit on my boyfriend's ear, gaining a groan. "We are alone right now." I purred before lowering my head to bite his neck.

"Yeah..." he moaned and I smiled.

"We have the next few days to ourselves."

"Yeah..." he moaned again as my lips, inch by inch, traveled towards his lips. My index finger grazed his bottom lip before I kissed him softly.

"What are you waiting for?" I grabbed Charlie's hand and guided it to roam my body.

Charlie grabbed my wrists and pushed me down. His hands roamed down between my chest, untying the waist tie as he did so, causing me to moan and arch my back at his touch. He spread my legs with his own and soon, his lips followed the trial that his hands explored. I gave a mixture of moans and gasps as his lips took a detour and kissed my inner thighs before I felt immense pleasure as his tongue went to work.

I whimpered as he slid a finger between my folds. "Damn it." I breathed. "I thought you were hungry."

Charlie looked up at me with a grin. "This is all I need." I grinned in return as he resumed his handy work.

"I want you inside of me!" I pleaded and without another word, he came up and I began stripping his clothes.

"So eager Miss Lawson. Lost your control over me already?" Charlie grinned.

"Just shut up and fuck me." Moment's later, I felt Charlie sliding himself into me. I gripped the bedsheets in pain and pleasure.

"Yes!" I bit my lip as I felt his slow thrusts. I released my hold of the sheets and clawed my boyfriend's back. He groaned in response. Feeling the need of dominance, I flipped us over and I straddled him. I grabbed his hardness and slid it inside of me once more. Charlie arched his back and grabbed my hips, trying to help us find a blissful rhythm.

"I'm so close!" I breathed minutes later and there was a sudden knock on the door. "What was that?" I stopped.

"Shit!" He gently pushed me off of him, climbed out of bed and scoured for his clothes.

"What is it?" I asked, wrapping my robe around me.

"Pizza." He said simply and ran out of the room.

I sighed in sexual frustration and walked out of the bedroom where Charlie already had three boxes in his hands. I walked over and grabbed them then proceeded to lay them on the coffee table. Charlie closed the door and turned to face me. I gave him a glare and dropped the boxes.

"What the hell Miri! That's our dinner!" He ran to check the dinner inside. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that the pizza was unharmed.

"I should kill her." I referred to the delivery person.

Charlie looked up at me. I was still glaring at him. "She was just doing her job."

"Yes, she just happened to knocked on the door right before we finished."

"Sit down Miri," Charlie pleaded in a soft tone. "Eat. We have the next days to have mind blowing sex."

"I'm not sure if I even want to anymore." Charlie ignored me as he drooled at the steaming pepperoni pizza. "Not after seeing that." I muttered after he stuffed the entire slice into his mouth. I sat on the couch in defeat. "You're such a pig. Where the bloody hell are your manners?"

Charlie responded with his mouth full and I couldn't understand a word he said. I scoffed and looked away in disgust. I heard a loud gulp and Charlie repeated. "Eat something. Want veggie pizza? I'm not sure what you liked so I go you that."

"I lost my appetite." _And my sex drive for that matter_. I remained looking away.

"Oh come on!" Charlie laughed. "I know you're hungry." I shifted my eyes, seeing my boyfriend present me with a slice of pizza on a plate. I rolled my eyes and took the paper plate.

_Ugh gross_! I grimaced as picked off the olives and flicked them off of my plate.

"I'll remember to say no olives next time." Charlie frowned.

"The way this night is going; there won't _be _a next time." I huffed.

"Don't be angry at me. I'm sorry Miri."

I sighed, knowing this was going nowhere. "It's alright." I took a bite of my pizza, finding it extremely delicious. "As for the olives, you didn't know."

"Well that's one extra thing I know about you." Charlie sat back on the sofa after dropping his plate. "I wish I knew more."

I stared at him for a long time. I found myself frowning again. _He really doesn't know anything about me._ "Ask away." I said.

Charlie looked up at me with confusion on his face. "What?"

"Ask whatever you want to know."

Charlie shook his head after staying silent for a few moments. "I don't want to force you to answer me. I want you to say whatever when you're ready."

"I...I have a sister."

"Really?" he asked with a smile. I nodded in reply.

"When I escaped from my father, I saw that he already had a replacement. He was going to put her into the same hell that I had to go through as a child." I shook my head to fight tears from falling. "I couldn't let that happen to her so I took her when she was an infant. I ran away with her to the spaceport in Australia and took the first flight out. When I arrived at the Citadel, a Cerberus operative came to me and said that she could help me."

"So you went with her." He said softly and I nodded once more.

"She took me to see the Illusive Man. When we met, he offered me a job. In return, he offered Oriana safety from my father. That's why I am so loyal to his cause. I believe and trust him. He hasn't failed me."

"Miranda you have money to do this on your own. You don't need TIM. He has complete control over you. From what you have told me from your father, he's wealthy. What makes you think that The Illusive Man won't take your father's money?"

"He wouldn't." I reply without a loss in my step. "The Illusive Man and I have a deal. He wouldn't betray the trust I have in him." I responded angrier than I should've.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Charlie sighed and pinched his nose. "Let's not talk about Cerberus or anything that has to do with the mission. We're supposed to relax and enjoy each other's company." He scooted closer to me, grabbed my plate and placed it on the table. "I plan on doing just that."

"Still impatient Commander?" I teased.

"Always sweatheart." Charlie pushed my down on the love seat and we soon began to resume where we left off.

* * *

**During the couple's much deserved shore leave, one will receive a rather urgent message from an informant *wink, wink* while the other does everything to support the other.**

**Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as well. **

**Leave a review and tell me what you thought about the chapter.**

**Until next time!**


	14. A Week Alone: Part 2

**Here we are again. Part 2 of Charlie and Miri's shore leave and it isn't sunshine and rainbows as it was the night before.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter though :)**

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A Week Alone: Part 2

**November 12, 2185**

**Illium - Illium Trading Floor - Commander Shepard - 1900 hours**

I walked from the Normandy towards Liara's office without even realizing it. It's been almost an hour since Charlie left with Miranda for some time off. I don't blame him. He's been going on mission after mission almost every day since he woke up from that Cerberus lab. He of all people deserves this but... God damn it he should be more careful. He could've died again. I sighed as I stopped in front of Liara's door and took a quick second to regain my composure before walking in. I don't want Liara to know what happened, though it wouldn't surprise me if she already knew.

I stepped in and observed the beautiful freckled asari stare at her terminal before she looked up at me. Liara smiled and laced her fingers together on top of her desk. "Hello Shepard."

I walked around her desk; responded by pulling her from her chair dominantly, followed by a needing kiss. Liara reciprocated and wrapped her fingers in my hair. I moaned into her mouth and Liara took it as an opportunity to slip her tongue into me. My heart began beating faster as the kiss developed. Our breaths shorten and we found ourselves pulling away, needing to breathe in more air.

"Hi." I said simply before I held her tightly in my arms. "I've missed you."

"And I you." Liara breathed in my scent and I couldn't help but do the same. I needed something familiar. I needed to be loved. I couldn't think of a better person right now than the love of my life.

"Can we get out of here? Someplace more private?" I asked.

Liara nodded. "Of course. Let me shut down my terminal and we can head to my apartment."

I watched as Liara turned secured her things before wrapping her arm around mine. We headed towards the transport hub. The two of us got inside her cab and drove off. We stayed silent during the ride. Our only interaction was the lacings of our hands and the occasional smile.

Once we arrived at her apartment, I began to look around. _Apart from some paintings and other souvenirs, it doesn't look like she spends much time here. _I said to myself as I looked at a prothean artifact incased in glass.

"Would you like something to drink?" Liara asked as she waltzed into her kitchen.

"Glass of water is fine." I responded as I observed the artifact, bending forward and poking the glass with my finger. I could hear Liara giggle from the kitchen before she walked over to grab my hand, leading me to the large, 'U' shaped sofa that looked towards the city outside.

I sat next to her, our legs just touching one another. I took a sip of water before resting it on her coffee table. "Look, I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you or come see you the past week. I have been...busy." I looked down at my feet and frowned. _I shouldn't be thinking about this right now._

"I heard what happened. I hope he's alright." Liara lifted my chin with her firm fingers. "I saw him earlier walking with Operative Lawson. He seemed in high spirits."

I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking about my conversation with him earlier this evening. "Yeah...I guess so."

"They do seem like an attractive couple." Liara made it sound more of a question than a statement. "But by the look you are giving me, it looks like you don't approve."

I looked up at her and shook my head. "Of course I approve." I began. "What Charlie does in his personal time is none of my business." I lied.

"Really?" Liara crossed her arms over her chest and raised an inquisitive brow.

"Well...yeah!" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Talk to me Shepard." Liara pleaded softly, reaching for my hands to comfort.

I opened my mouth to speak but quickly closed it with an exasperated sigh. "I don't want to bother you with my problems."

"Please, Shepard. Don't shut me out." Liara lifted my hand to her violet lips and kissed my knuckles. "I want to help."

I cocked a smile and kissed her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." She leaned over to kiss me. "But don't change the subject."

_Damn! _"Fine," I breathed out. "It's just that Miranda broke his heart before as we were hunting Saren. What are the chances that she would do it again? But it's not just that. What if he dies again? I can't lose him a second time. I can't go through that again. I fear that if I do, I'll turn into that wreck that drove _you_ away. I don't want that either."

"You won't drive me away again. It...it was a mistake by my part. I was selfish and I could not handle seeing you so depressed." Liara frowned. "It's been the worst two years of my life. Until you came back to me." Liara paused before speaking again. "As for Charlie dying again, I doubt he would commit the same mistake twice."

I found myself laughing at her choice of words. "Yeah he's not the type of guy of doing the same thing twice." I giggled before it quickly disappeared. "I slapped Miranda."

"What?" Liara asked bewildered. I closed my eyes, ready for her lecture. "Why?" she said simply.

"I...I told her that she failed him. She's supposed to protect him. Charlie was unconscious for six days because he inhaled red sand and a toxin that boosted biotic powers. I was so furious at her. I had no reason to be really."

"I'm sure Miranda did the best she could." Liara said after two seconds of silence.

"That's exactly what Miranda said." I looked away towards the dark night sky outside. "Well enough about that. Miranda's right, Charlie's right and you're right. I lose so cased solved." I said between my teeth, sounding more angrily than I should have.

"Shepard..."

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm sorry love. Let's just forget the conversation ever happen and let's enjoy our time together." I leaned closer and nuzzled my nose with hers. "You did invite me to your apartment after all." I grinned. "You must have gotten very lonely." I added in a husky tone.

"Shepard, I..."

I interrupted by grabbing her legs and pulling her on top of me. "Less talking love. Show me how much you've missed me." She signaled me to go upstairs and I carried her up the stairs in her bed. I grabbed her breasts, finding it pleasing just how they have grown over the last two years. _If I live long enough, I'll be playing with them more often._ I bit my bottom lip as I heard a soft moan escaped from my lover's lips as I gave her breasts a light squeeze. Her eyes turned black as she wound up on top of me.

"Embrace Eternity."

**November 13, 2185**

**Illium - Liara's apartment - Commander Shepard - 0600 hours**

I stirred awake, feeling the best I have woken up these last two years. Liara's naked body was draped over me; one of her legs was between mine. _Last night was incredible._ I smiled at the sleeping asari above me and began kissing her shoulder softly. She moaned in her sleep and a grin appeared on my lips. My kisses trailed upward towards her neck, to her chin before finishing on her lips. My hands began lightly touching Liara's beautiful toned tummy, causing Liara to wake up giggling. I flipped us over and continued my gentle attack on her stomach.

"Does that tickle?" I grinned. Liara kept giggling and I stopped for a moment so I could let Liara catch her breath. Once Liara settled down she looked me with widened eyes.

"Shepard please don-"

I grinned and resumed my attack.

"Shepard!" Liara giggled as my hands moved throughout her abdomen. I leaned down to began kissing and biting her neck. Liara wrapped her arms around me and we held each other, causing me to stop tickling her.

"What are you doing today?" I asked.

"I have to head back to my office and continue working." We both frowned. I held her tighter by wrapping my legs around her.

"Stay here with me." I pleaded.

"I can't. I have to find my friend."

"Please? For a few more hours?" I pouted.

"You aren't a very good pouter." Liara smiled and kissed me on the nose. "but I'll stay here with you for a few more hours."

"Do you want to have brunch with me?" I asked.

"That sounds lovely...but why brunch? It's early right now and we can still have breakfast instead." Liara tilted her head in confusion.

"Well," I said softly as I leaned close to her lips, cocking my brow upward in a seductive motion. "I have something in mind that we can do that will require us to miss breakfast." I connected my lips with hers as my hands squeezed her breasts. "I can't get enough of you."

"Neither can I." Liara moaned before her eyes turned black again.

**Illium - Castle suites - Room 1028 - Commander Alonso - 1000 hours**

I stirred awake on my bed, finding my bed empty. I sat up quickly and looked around for Miri. _Where is she?_ "Miranda?" I called out. No answer. I grabbed my briefs and slipped out of the bedroom. "Miranda?" I called out again. Still no answer. _Where could she have gone?_

The door opened and Miranda walked in with her same black pants and a V-neck buttoned blouse with a dainty D-ring belt. She walked in with a bellboy that carried a cart that had a few cases.

"What are those?" I asked.

"Our equipment." She said simply while she thanked the bellboy and tipping the young man. Miri closed the door behind him and elaborated further. "I forgot some things on board and I thought it would be a good idea to bring our weapons and armor...in case of emergency."

_Oh._ I walked over and helped Miranda carry the large cases into our bedroom. "Is there a reason why you brought this?"

"It's just a precaution Charlie. Something I learned from my past experiences." I looked at her for awhile and she sighed. "There was a time when I was staying in a suite like this when I was younger. I left all of my guns in my shuttle and a squad came in to kill me. I barely escaped with my life and from then, I took extra precaution and took my things everywhere. It never hurts to be prepared Commander."

I brought her close to me, wrapping my arms on her petite frame, giving her a light squeeze. "Thanks. I'm gonna go take a shower. Have you eaten?" Miranda shook her head. "Alright, order some room service and I'll be out in a bit." I kissed her forehead and went to the bathroom.

**Illium - Castle Suites - Room 1028 - Miranda Lawson - 1015 hours**

After grabbing a glass of water, I looked out the large window that showed the beautiful city outside. I half-lied to Charlie. I woke up around four in the morning and headed to the hospital to get checked up to see if I could have children. It was stupid for me to think about life with children. During my years, I have never wanted kids. I couldn't fool myself into having a normal life. But as I turned to the bedroom, my thoughts turned to Charlie. With him, anything is possible. Maybe he's the one person in this galaxy that I could ever possibly see myself settle down with and have a family. So here I stood, waiting for a message from the hospital. My omni-tool beeped moments later. I swiped over and checked my messages, finding a brand new message from Illium Medical Center:

_TEST RESULTS, PATIENT 12-66AD-1_

_Miss Lawson,_

_As per your request for privacy, this message will be removed from our database upon confirmation of send integrity._

_While we cannot firmly attribute the cause the benign neoplasm to the irregularity in your genetic makeup, we can confirm that the progressive damage renders you unable to conceive a child._

I stopped reading the rest of the message. I dropped the glass in my hands and re-read the last few words in that sentence. _No..._ I shook my head in defiance. _I-It can't be!_ I closed my eyes and tears flowed down my cheeks. The moment of happiness I felt just seconds before had suddenly disappeared. _I could never have children. I could never make Charlie happy. _He would never forgive me if I told him. Deep down inside, I knew he wanted a family. _I rebuilt his memories for God's sake!_ It would crush him if I ever told him about this terrible news. _He would leave me for sure!_

"Miranda what do want to do today!" Charlie called out from the bedroom.

_Shit!_ I sniffed and quickly wiped away my tears as I heard footsteps approaching me. "I uh." I looked down as he stood next to me. "I don't know. I'm up for anything." I forced a smile as I kicked the glass away.

"Something wrong?" He asked. His fingers wrapped under my chin and lifted me but I looked away. "Miri...you're crying. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I choked. _No. Don't do this. Please don't ask me anything else!_

"Miranda talk to me." The pad of his thumb began wipe the stray tear that betrayed me. I swatted his hand away and backed away.

"No!" I yelled, causing him to jump. "I'm fine alright? Stop fucking questioning me. I hate it when you keep asking me what the hell is wrong with me. I'm fine you bloody idiot!" I stormed out of the room and slammed the door to the bedroom, mentally cursing myself for yelling at him. _He didn't deserve it. But better to yell at him than tell him the truth. _I buried my face inside the pillow and wept.

The door opened slowly minutes later.

"Miranda?" Charlie called out softly. I buried my face deeper in the pillow. _Go away you stubborn ass!_ I felt Charlie's weight crawled into the bed, followed by comforting hands on my shoulder. "Miri what's wrong? Can't you talk to me?" I shook my head defiantly. "Alright." Charlie breathed deeply. "I'll leave you alone to rest."

I quickly turned and grabbed him arm. "Please...hold me."

Charlie looked at me with worry but complied. He climbed back into bed and lovingly wrapped his arms around me. I cried into his shoulders while he brushed his hands in my hair, cooing me. "Shhh. It's alright sweatheart. I love you and I'm here for you with whatever you need. Okay?"

I nodded but I didn't tell him. I couldn't. _and I never will._ I promised myself and fell asleep in his arms.

**Six hours later...**

I woke up to another beep from my omni-tool. I sat up and began read another new message.

_To: Operative Lawson_

_Code Purple._

_Meet me at Eternity Bar._

_- Operative Casey_

My eyes opened wide. I knew what that message meant. _My sister is in danger._

"Ah, you're awake." Charlie walked into my room with a smile on his face.

"I have to go." I said as I pulled my catsuit from my luggage and began to change.

"What? Where?"

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you. Please understand. I have to do this on my own." I grabbed my weapons and headed began heading out the door, only to have Charlie blocking my way. "Get out of my way Charlie."

"No. You are telling me what the fuck is going on. I want to help damn it. Now please tell me what is going on?" Charlie glared at me and flared his biotics.

"Fine you want to help?" I began furiously. "Get in your armor and grab you're weapons. I don't have bloody time to explain."

Charlie nodded and rushed to his suitcase, got into his armor and grabbed his pistol and shotgun. "Let's go." We ran rode into the elevator and ran into the taxi cab and went flew towards the Nos Astra transit hub. "You want to talk about what is going on?"

"My sister is in danger Commander. I just received a message from my agent that was looking after her. He told me to meet him at the Eternity Bar. Let's just hope I'm not too late."

**Illium - Eternity Bar - Commander Alonso - 1600 hours**

Miranda and I walked into the bar. I was too concerned for Miranda's sister's safety to even take a look around. Miranda walked into a secluded part of the bar, finding a tall, muscular man waiting for us. His muscular arms were crossing in front of his chest. His face had a classical marine style and it showed in his angry, hard-edge expression. That_ jaw is chiseled by Michaelangelo himself._ I looked at him up and down. _He doesn't seem to be a particularly happy guy. _

"Lawson." He nodded towards my girlfriend before looking at me with narrowed eyes and a grunt. I arched my brows and was about to speak before Miranda beat me to the punch.

"What happened? Is Oriana alright?"

"She's fine but that guy who you listed as his source? Niket? He contacted me and warned me that your father has sent eclipse mercenaries to make a sweep. He suggested that the mercs were watching for you personally. He offered to escort Oriana's family to the terminals instead."

I turned to Miranda and asked, "You never mentioned about this Niket guy before."

"Niket is a friend of mine. He and I go back a long way." She turned to the operative and gave a curt nod. "Thank you Operative Casey. We'll follow Niket's suggestion. Chuck and I will take the car and draw their attention. Have Niket escort the family to the shuttle and give him full access to the family's itinerary just to be safe."

"Understood Lawson." Casey nodded and left.

"So," I followed Miranda as we walked back towards the transit hub. "Our plan is to get shot by eclipse mercs while your sister makes a break for it?"

"I understand that it's a risky chance but if you don't want to help me, you can just leave." Miranda replied with venom.

"Hey, I didn't say I didn't want to help. I'm just trying to get on the same page."

Miranda sighed and stopped. "I'm sorry. It's been a stressful day so far. I'm thankful that you're trying to help. Really. I appreciate this." I pulled her into a quick hug. "I never expected the eclipse to show up but... I guess they never planned on facing you." Miranda smiled.

"It'll be fun to shoot some eclipse." I grabbed her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "We're a team Miri. I'm glad I could help." Miranda smiled and kissed me on the lips. I embraced her once more before we got into the car and drove into the Illium skies.

* * *

**Can you name the episode of Chuck where that Michaelangelo reference was made? :D**

**Lol anyways, I would like to take the time to thank subsider34 and digijim95 for your reviews for the last two chapters. **

**Subsider: I will probably have Charlie talk to Thane about that due to the Commander's close relationship with the Justicar.**

**Digijim: I'm glad you got the reference with the olives :) and I hope you and other Chucksters enjoyed the small character swap in this chapter. It wasn't necessary but I couldn't resist :p**

**I also want to thank the new followers and/or subscribers. I appreciate the love.**

**Feel free to leave a review to tell me what you thought and what you hope to see in the future. I want to take a small breather before I update this story since Miranda's loyalty mission is up next in the lineup. I still have Citadel High chapters to write after all ;) I can't let those guys hanging over there.**

**So until next time :)**


	15. The Prodigal

**Bah! I've got a small writers block over at Citadel High so I decided to write for this story for the time being.**

**Digijim95: The Michaelangelo reference was from Chuck vs The Truth while Team Bartowski waits for the elevator :p**

**I did a little flashback in this story for Miri so I hope you guys enjoy it.**

**See you on the other side!**

* * *

The Prodigal

**November 13, 2185**

**Illium - Sky cab - Commander Alonso -1615 hours**

"You alright? You seem awfully quiet." It was a stupid thing to ask. _How would I feel if my maniacal father were to hire Eclipse mercs to take your sister from your grasp? _I frowned as soon as words escaped my lips as I turned to find Miranda looking out the passenger's window. She turned to face me and I looked straight ahead, surrendering at her gaze. _Way to go._ I cursed at myself.

"So this informant of yours..." I tried again moments later.

Miranda smirks and replies, "Operative John Casey has been one of my trusted contacts for almost ten years now. He's one of the best recon agents I have ever worked with. He is extremely dangerous with a sniper and is capable of handling any gun."

"Yeah I could kind of see it in his face. He's got a very angry center...you know as apposed to that calm center that everyone else has."

My girlfriend rolls her eyes and resumes to looking out her window. "He has a hard edge and is really straightforward I do have to admit."

"So," I asked minutes later, "how are we preceding this? You know... like an actual plan? I hope we aren't going in guns blazing."

"Are you backing down from a fight Commander?" Miranda averted her gaze from the window to look at me once more, this time with a grin on her face.

"I know how you work. You always follow some sort of plan." I shrugged a shoulder. "I won't complain if that is how you want to handle this. I'm following your lead."

"For now, the plan seems sound. Nothing will stop us." She said with coldness that it made me shiver slightly.

_Wow, she's really pissed._

Seconds later, we approached Niket's coordinates, then seven gunships whizzed past us. "Damn it!" Miranda cursed. "More eclipse. It might get more complicated."

"No turning back now." I began looking for a nice place to land. I saw a few soldiers with a commando that were on the ground. I grinned and looked at Miranda. "Hold onto something." I increased the acceleration and pushed the lever. The cab's nose dipped towards the large docks. "You know Miri, I almost feel bad for them!" Yelled over the cab's mass accelerator. The soldiers looked up at us and raised their weapons. Unfortunately, that was all they could do as we splattered into them before crashing into cargo boxes.

Miranda and I groaned as soon as the cab came to a full stop. The entire windshield was covered in red blood and bits. "Well," I panted. "Don't get angry at me for being-"

"-a showoff!" Miranda hit my on the shoulder before gunfire ensued. With a shared look, Miranda and I flared our biotics and shot out of the car and into the closest cover possible.

"Down you go!"

I popped out of cover and killed an engineer with a headshot.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE DAMN IT!" A voice called out from somewhere. I looked towards Miranda who was safely crouched behind cover. "Miss Lawson?"

"Since you know that much information, I suggest you get out of here." Miranda acknowledged. I silently made my way around the large cargo containers towards the voice.

"We are here to ensure that you don't do anything to harm our boss' little girl. He said that you would be here to kidnap her again. Captain Anyala has already moving on the kid. She also knows about Niket. I'm afraid he won't be helping you."

I stopped. _What does he mean he won't be 'helping' us. _I looked around the corner and saw a guard walking towards me. I hugged the corner and waited for him, watching the man's shadow. I quietly reached for the knife on my boot and waited. By the time the soldier past by me I reached for him; I held the palm of my hand on his mouth and pulled him. Before the man could draw attention to me, I sliced the man's throat. Blood sprayed on the cargo container in front of me. Blood began to cover my hand so I dropped the man and wiped the blood off of my gloved hand and stole the man's thermal clips before I continued sneaking.

Miranda laughed out loud. "Kidnap? This doesn't involve you. Either you leave now or I will kill every single one of you."

"Captain Anyala has given you one chance to back away." The man counter-offered. "While we've been talking, my snipers have been taking offensive positions."

_Oh shit! Fuck the sneaking. I gotta get to the bastard now! _I sighed. _Right when I could actually sneak, everything just goes to shit._

"I suggest you leave, or I'll be the one that kills you." The voice was closer. I drew my shotgun and waltzed behind him. I gave a whistle that made him jump and turn to me.

"What the-"

He never finished the sentence as his head exploded. I turned to Miranda who looked at me in surprise. I laughed and looked up at the two snipers that were lining up the shot. I flared my biotics and pulled them down from the balconies. Miri followed it with two quick warps that caused an explosion.

"That...was-"

"Romantic?" I winked. "I did just save a damsel in distress." I said dramatically.

Miranda rolled her eyes and pushed me playfully off to the side. I followed after her and we were soon in a quick firefight with three soldiers and an engineer. They were easy pickings due to Miranda's sudden furious and aggressive combat strategy. _I should probably keep an eye on her. I don't want her getting injured again and I REALLY don't want to go back to the Normandy right now._

After Miranda finished the last man, I rushed over to the elevator's controls to summon one. As we waited I looked over to Miranda who had that wondering look on her face. I reached up to her and lovingly touched her shoulder. "Talk to me."

"I have a feeling..." She paused and nervously scratched her shoulder. "I was just wondering what that merc said about Niket not being able to help us. What if they got to him?"

"I'm sure he was just bluffing. Can I ask you something?" I asked. Miranda nodded slowly. "What was your life like...growing up I mean."

"My father built me in a test tube like I have told you already. He raised me to be perfect. He wouldn't settle for second best. I was brought up with no friends and I was pushed to meet impossible demands. Whenever I did something wrong or anything that he didn't like, he would...he would hurt me. Say things to me; Things that a nobody would even dare say to their child. Though even after all that, he still kept me. He probably should have killed me and create another -would have saved him a lot of trouble- but he kept me. I wasn't a daughter to him. I was... I don't know what I was."

The words hit me like daggers plunging into my heart. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

Miranda shook her head instantly. "No, it's quite alright. You should know that about me." The elevator door opened and we stepped inside. Miranda's saddened looked disappeared. She was suddenly all business. "According to the specs I reviewed, we'll need to cut through the cargo processing yard to get to my sister."

"I hope your friend can be trusted." I punch the elevator button as the door closes in front of us.

"Of course. I'm sure my father has done something to get Niket on his side but he's the only one who really knows what my father is like. I trust Niket with my life. He's...well he's been my only friend. Besides you of course."

I looked at her and the two of us exchanged smiles. I look down and take her hand in mine. "Everything is going to be fine. We'll rescue your sister." I kissed her left cheek as I squeezed her hand in support.

**Twenty-five years earlier...**

**Earth - Australia - Lawson Estate - Miranda Lawson**

"Miranda can you come to my office?" My father calls me from the intercom.

_Damn it! _I clench my jaw before I answer. "Yes dad-father."I swing my legs over the edge of my bed, immediately feeling cold. I grab my favorite black robe and make my way towards my dad's office on the other side of the mansion.

I knock lightly and wait for my father's calling. Once he answered, I step inside. I straighten my posture a little as I walk up the small steps and stand beside him.

"Miranda how many times have I told you about wondering outside of your room at night?" He asks as he stared out the window, not even bothering to look at me.

"But-"

I was greeted by a slap on the face. I fall down on the carpet, clutching the burning sensation on my right cheek. I blink my tears away, knowing that I would be hit again if I begin to cry. I look up at him and see anger in his eyes.

"That is not what I asked you Miranda."

"Many..." I reply softly.

He steadies his breathing and looks to face out towards the horizon. "If I or any of my men see you wandering out of your room at night, you'll regret it. Now get out and go to bed."

Still clutching my face, I slowly exit out of my father's office. Once I reach my room and lock the door behind me, I run towards my bed and cry myself to sleep.

**Seven years later...**

I could hear an infant's cry outside my room in one of the hallways. It's well past midnight and I can't take the crying anymore._ I can't take this place anymore. I have to get out of here for my safety._ Niket and I have been planning for a few weeks now. Even though the long talks and the cautious timing of it all, the word: planning wasn't something in my current vocabulary. I couldn't do this anymore. I have to escape my father and the torture I receive on a regular basis. I bring up my omni-tool and send Niket a quick message. Within minutes, he comes into my room from the window. I slide up on my king size bed to have my back resting on the headboard.

"What's up Miri?" Niket asks with worry.

"I need to get out now. I can't take this anymore." I reply, still hearing the infant crying.

"It's too late right no-"

"I'm serious. I need to get out." I shake my head and slam hands on the mattress in frustration.

"And where will you go?" He raises his voice at me.

"The Citadel, some colony somewhere I don't bloody care Niket! Please help me."

Niket brings his arms up in defeat, sighing, "Alright alright." He leaps towards me and hugs me. I hug him in return, knowing that I might never see him again. "The keys are out on the cab with more than enough money to get you out of here. I..." There was a long pause before he spoke while we looked into each other's eyes. "I'm gonna miss you Miri."

"Me too." I take his hands in mine. "Write to me okay?"

"Every day." Niket brings his hands up to my cheeks and wipes a tear. With one nod, Niket is out of my room.

I change quickly into beige cargo pants and a grey long sleeve shirt. I grab a black hoodie and wait for a few minutes before I walk out of the room. I dash towards the room that I am supposed to get to but then I come to asudden stop. The child's crying is getting closer. Instead of dashing into the exit room, I begin searching for the kid. _No way in hell I'm going to let you suffer through the pain he cause me._ The crying leads me to a locked door. Luckily, all the years of sneaking around with Niket has proven useful. I managed to hack the door and walk inside. I see the baby inside a crib. I could only see it's flailing little arms, desperately looking for someone to hold it. _The fact that nobody has come and check on it is absurd_! I walk over and gently grab the baby that was wrapped in a pink blanket. _It's a girl._ A smile forms my lips as I hold the little bundle in my arms.

"I'll protect you from him." I promised. The baby manages to stop crying and I walk out of the room, holding the baby tight. I look down at the baby and the tag that is wrapped around her little wrist.

_Oriana_..._that's a pretty name. _I smile again and back track towards the room.

"Hey you!" A man's voice called behind me. I turn around and flare my biotics, sending the guard out the window to his death. I run into the room and make my way out of my father's mansion, careful to not scare Oriana. I ran over to the cab and start it. Without looking back, me and my sister head towards freedom.

**Present day**

**Illium - Cargo Yard - Commander Alonso - 1745 hours**

After dealing with the last enemy on the third conveyor system, Miranda and I walked over to another elevator.

"Niket has reached the terminal. He'll switch the family over to out transport." Captain Anyala informed through the hijacked radios that we stole earlier. _Well this can't be good._

Miranda gasped inwardly. "Niket? But...that can't be right!" I said nothing as the elevator door opened. I walked over to the controls and hit the top floor, where Niket was. "Maybe...maybe the captain knows we are listening in and she's feeding false information about Niket making the switch." Miranda began to pace furiously. "Or maybe it's something else! Niket wouldn't do this! Damn it why are elevators this bloody slow!" Miranda flared her biotics and punched the control display.

"Hey..." I grabbed her hand. "I'm sure there's a perfect explanation for this. What makes you think Niket wouldn't turn on you?" I regretfully asked.

Miranda turned to face me with a glare. "He wouldn't. He could've turned on me when I ran away. If he didn't do it then, then why would he even dare to do it now?"

"Does he know about you rescuing Oriana all those years ago?" I asked a few seconds later as I thought.

Miranda's face softened before she began to reply. "...No. Not until recently. It was...too personal to involve someone else. Shit. I never really thought about it, but maybe..." Miranda shook her head defiantly. "No. He'd have to understand why I did what I did. He knows what I went through."

"We'll clear this up Miri." I promised.

There was a weak smile that came across her lips. "Thanks...for being here."

I nod and gave her a tender smile. "As I said, damsel in distress." I finished with a wink.

"I am not." Miranda glared mockingly, causing me to laugh.

The doors opened shortly after and the two of us were in front of an eclipse merc, a asari civie and a male human. The human looked towards Miranda with surprise.

"Miri." He called out. _Niket..._ I said to myself.

The eclipse merc that was previously sitting on a stack of cargo containers jumped off the containers and drew out a claymore shotgun.

"This should be fun." Captain Anyala smirked as Miranda and I drew our weapons. The asari that was unarmed looked at the captain and began to flee, only to be sprayed by Anyala's shotgun bullets.

"Niket," Miranda spoke coldly. "I can't believe you sold me out."

I kept my eyes on the asari as I asked softly. "How do you want to handle this?"

Miranda ignored me and pointed the gun at her once best friend. "Why Niket? You were my friend! You helped me get away from my father."

"Because you wanted to leave! That was your choice. But to kidnap a child-"

"I didn't kidnap her damn it! I rescued her!" Miranda yelled.

"From a life of wealth and happiness?" Niket huffed. "You weren't saving her; you were getting back at your father!"

"How did he turn you?" I asked as I continued to point my gun at Anyala.

"The mercs told me that I could help bring Oriana back peacefully. No trauma to the family." He looked at me before turning to Miranda. "They said that you kidnapped her but I said that you would never do that. Then you called me and told me what you did all those years ago. I called them that same night."

I couldn't see her but I knew she was furious, as she should be. "Why didn't you call _me_ Niket! We've been through a lot damn it! You could have let me explain!"

"How much did they pay you?" _You traitorous bastard._

"A lot." Niket replied, sounding sad.

"You were the only one I ever trusted back then! How could you!"

Niket frowned and looked down at his feet. "Your father knew that. That's why they bought me."

"So you just took his fucking money." Miranda herself sounded sad.

"If you're working for Miranda's father, then that means he must know about Oriana. We need to find a new solution." I proposed but from the look Niket is giving, it doesn't look like it's needed.

"Henry doesn't know about Oriana. I knew Miranda had spy programs in his system so I kept it private. I'm the only one who knows."

"Which means that you're the only loose end." Miranda said sadly. "This isn't how I wanted to end, Niket. I'm going to miss-" I sprung into action and forced Miranda to lower her weapon.

"No. You don't want to do that!" I pleaded to my girlfriend.

"This hand to end Charlie. My father will keep tabs on her." Miranda broke free from me and was interrupted by Niket.

"I'll tell him that you hid her. I'll tell him that I don't know where she is."

"Fine but hear this Niket." Miranda pointed a finger at him. "I never, _never_ want to see you aga-"

A gunshot filled the room again and Niket's eyes rolled back before his body fell dead on the floor. Behind him, Anyala smirked as smoke came out of her claymore's nuzzle. "Good, this was getting boring. Now, if you don't mind, I have a shipment to deliver."

Miranda flared her biotics and pushed her to the side, sending her crashing to the crates on the right. Miranda gave me a look that told me to not interfere before walking over towards Anyala's dazed body. Miranda lifted her boot and placed it over the asari's neck. "You'll pay for that you bitch!" Miri raised a gun and put a bullet in between her eyes. "Let's go. We should be clear from here."

I wordlessly followed an ice cold Miranda into the elevator on the far side of the room. Once again, I pushed the button to take us up towards a cab station of the building, where Niket gave instructions to Oriana and her family to wait.

"I can't believe Niket sold me out." Miranda said softly before laughing. "I didn't even see it coming."

"You couldn't have known Miranda. Nobody could. We are all human." I slowly approached her but she quickly moved away.

"But I let it get personal and I screwed everything up!" Miranda turned to face me and continued. "Why didn't you let me kill him! I could have handled it. But watching him get shot in the back by that asari bitch!"

"Hey...you still cared, even if he betrayed you. I...I couldn't let it come back and haunt you."

Miranda breathed outwardly and crossed her hands over her chest, leaning on left hip. "You're right and my father knew it. He used it against me." She huffed and laughed incredulously. "It's always been like this. He gave me everything that I could want but there was always a hook! I gave away everything...except Niket. Weakness on my part."

"That isn't a way to life your like Lawson. You can't just remove yourself from everyone you care about just to be safe. You still have Oriana to protect...you have me."

"You...you're right." Miranda sighed. "I still have her. I still have something." Miranda approached me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I have you. Thank you."

I smiled and nodded. "I love you Miranda. Don't forget that."

Miranda nodded before leaning her head forward to kiss me tenderly on the lips. We stood wrapped in the embrace until the elevator began to slow down, then opening to the outside world. There was still about an hour of sun left in the day.

"There she is." Miranda looked out through the crowed and saw her sister with her family. "She's safe...with her family." There was a long pause as I looked around for her. The large crowd made it almost impossible but at a quick glance, I was able to spot her. She looked almost like Miranda, except younger. I was surprised by the uncanny resemblance. "We should go." I did a double take, turning to see Miranda making her leave.

"Wait." I gently grabbed her arm. Her head ducked down and I looked at her in confusion. "You don't want to say hello?"

Miranda turned and shook her head, looking over my shoulder. "It's not about what I want. It's about what's best for Oriana. Th-The less she knows about me, the better. She's got a family. A-a life! I...I'll just complicate things."

"Miranda..."

"What!" Miranda yelled then regretted it. "I'm sorry."

"She doesn't need any sort of details of our mission but would it _REALLY_ be so bad just to go talk to her and just say hi? Just to let her know that you're out there? Looking out for her? To let her know that she has a big _sister_ out there that loves her?"

Miranda's face softened to the point that I could sense her crying. She looked over to her sister for a long time, thinking of every possible outcome: Both negative and positive. Eventually, she gave in. "I guess not..."

I smiled and rubbed her back. "Go," I said softly. "I'll wait here. I promise not to flirt with other woman." I smirked.

"You better not you ass." Miranda gave a smirk of her own and walked towards her eagerly with an exaggerated sway of her hips. I glared at her as she walked away from me.

_You're doing that on purpose! Ugh such a tease!_ I roll my eyes and lean over the balcony. I closed my eyes, taking in the Illium cool air. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Miranda and her sister talking to one another on a bench. Oriana had a wide smile on her face and jumped up and down in her seat. It was quite comical how the two were actually different from one another. It was obvious in their body language. I smiled and made my way over. _Lawson will probably kill me but I would like to meet part of the Lawson family...well the good half anyway._

Oriana saw me approach and gasped. "H-hello! Are you?"

I smiled at Oriana and kneeled down in front of her. "Commander Alonso? Yeah that's me. Alive! Because you know...people can't come back from the dead." Miranda glared at me. "You must be Miranda's sister." I extended my hand towards the younger Lawson but it was swatted away and was replaced by a hug that caused me to stand.

"Oh my god! It's really you! I've read so much about you! My boyfriend is such a fan of you and Commander Shepard. You wouldn't believe the how much of a nut he is."

"Oh? Is your boyfriend here?" I asked.

Oriana frowned and shook her head. "No. He's over at his house a few miles away."

_A few miles away?_ I looked at Miranda who gave me a threatening look. I ignored it and grinned at the younger Lawson. "Hey I've got an idea-"

"Charlie..." Miranda said between gritted teeth.

I waved a hand dismissively at my girlfriend. "Oh hush! Listen, Miranda and I are staying over at Castle Suites and I was wondering if you and your boyfriend want to come over and join us before we have to go back to work."

"To j-join you? Really? I don't know what to say."

"Say no Ori." Miranda continued to glare at me. "You don't want to be anywhere near us."

"But Randa! I want to get to know you and Commander Alonso. Can I be with you please?" Oriana fluttered her eyes at her older sister.

_Randa? Heh that's cute. _I grinned and dragged and arm across Oriana's shoulder. "Yes _Randa, _please?"

Miranda sighed before conceding, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine, how about you two come over tomorrow at Ten?"

"Okay! I'll see you both tomorrow." Oriana gave a quick hug to me and Miranda before leaving with her parents.

I turned to my girlfriend, who go up and walked towards the elevator. "Oh come on! _Randa_ wait up!" I laughed internally.

_God I love torturing her!_

**Castle Suites - Room 1028 - Commander Alonso - 1800 hours**

I've been given the silent treatment ever since Oriana gave her goodbyes, though as the two of us enter our suite, Miranda heads into our bedroom with a smile on her face. I stand to lean on the doorway, watching my girlfriend lay on her bed. I push myself off and walk over to my cases to remove my armor and change into my clothes I wore before. Without any invitation, I walk around the bed and lay next to her.

"I trust you have no injuries?" I ask as she rests her head on my chest and wraps her arms around me. "Nothing I need to further...inspect?" I add in a husky tone.

Miranda huffed and slapped me on my stomach as she looked up at me. "You would say something like that."

"Hey, you don't hear me complaining when I use my little finger."

Miranda blushed and looked away.

"You aren't mad that I invited your sister over...are you?" I asked.

"Well..."

"Miranda!" I gasped, pushing her off.

Miranda giggled and climbed on top of me. "I'm kidding. I think it will be fun." She leaned down and began trailing kisses over my neck. Miranda stopped at the corner of my lips and pulled her head back. She gave me a sultry smile. "I...I don't think I could have ever done this without you Chuck."

I smiled in return and began to speak. "You don't have to-"

Miranda brought a finger to my lips and sat next to me. "No I have to. There hasn't been anyone in my life that has giving me...well everything like you have." I grabbed her hands in mine and listened. "I...I'm not always good with expressing what I feel but I want you to know that you mean everything to me. So thank you for being here for me. You have giving me more than I could have ever deserved."

"I understand." I begin, clutching her in my arms. "I feel the same way about you. I know what it's like to be alone as a child and not have real parents around to love you. I don't blame my parents 'cause they were working but...I wish at least one of them was around. There were times that I wasn't sure about my future but now that I have you, I can safely say that I am finally happy. You're the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. You are smart, talented, you put up with my nonsense and you are always constantly saving my life."

Miranda pursed her lips together and smiled at me. I smiled back and continued, "You are everything I could ever want and more. I've been thinking...thinking about what would our lives would be like if we were just normal people. You and me meeting at some department store, falling in love with each other. Marry each other, grow old and have a family. It sounds like a dream or some alternate universe type of thing now that I think about it." I pause for a long time. I look into her steel-blue eyes and saw that she was thinking the same thing. "But that isn't what or who we are. You're a Cerberus operative and I'm a dead Alliance slash Council Spectre. Though even through all of that...we are together. A team. A couple fighting the Collectors and Reapers. The past two days, I have been thinking what will it be like for the both of us once this is over. Would we even be alive? I am sure as hell that I will do everything I can to make sure that the two of us survive but that isn't how life works. It throws us everything it can to make sure things happen. I want the both of us to be together. Start a family I don't know. I just know that I want you in the picture. So...as for the whole 'I don't deserve this' thing you have going on? No, you deserve everything and more. Niket may have betrayed you but know this." I grabbed the back of Miranda's neck and brought her closer. "Miranda Lawson, I, will never betray you. I love you forever and always."

Miranda gulped as tears began to fall down her natural pale cheeks. The two of us shared a kiss that showed how much we care about each other. "I'll try to be a perfect girlfriend for you."

I laughed softly. "Don't you know Miranda? You already are. You're perfect for me. I'm the one that has to be perfect for you."

"I've just noticed that you've stopped calling me Miri since we met Niket." Miranda arched her brow. "How come?"

"Well, I thought that it would bring up something from the-"

"No it's fine." Miranda's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "I actually like it when you call me that."

"Y-you sure?" I ask. Miranda smiles and gives me a quick kiss.

"I'm sure." She rests her head on my chest and falls asleep minutes later.

I sit there watching her. I continuously brush her beautiful, soft raven haired locks. I kiss her forehead and join her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

_If only we were normal._

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**The facts of life *sigh* well at least the two will spend some time with Ori soon!**

**I want to thank The Critical One for his review and I'm surprised to find that Charlie is so similar to you. Hope you are enjoying the story.**

**I'll catch you guys later!**


	16. A Double Date Ruined

**Hello everyone! Hope you guys had a good weekend?**

**Anyways, thanks to those that have subscribed, followed, or favorited. I appreciate it. Thanks to The Critical One, Bluemarlin and Digijim95 for their reviews last chapter.**

**The whole mentioning of an alternate universe things last chapter was mostly a summary of the show Chuck. Though Chuck and Sarah don't have kids on the actual show, one can imagine right? :p**

**Why is this called 'A Double Date Ruined' you ask? Well read and find out! ;)**

* * *

A Double Date Ruined

**November 14, 2185**

**Castle Suites - Room 1028 - Commander Alonso - 0300 hours**

I stirred awake; listening to weak cries and sobs outside the bedroom. I stretched and got up slowly walked towards the doorway, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Miranda sat at the bar, pouring herself a glass of something. I narrowed my eyes with worry as I could see her shoulders shake uncontrollably. I walked barefooted over to her and found that she had gone through a fifth bottle of asari wine.

"Miri?" I called softly just behind her, off to her left a bit.

Miranda sniffed and brought her arm up to wipe her tears away. "Oh, hey." She forced a smile as I sat next to her.

"Is...everything okay?" I asked worryingly.

"Of course I uh...I just needed a drink." She reached over to a brand new bottle and poured the liquid into two glasses, handing one to me. I looked at her with concern as she forced me to clink our glasses together. I watched as she downed the liquid in her wine glass as if it were a shot. "I was just thinking about what you said to me last night...about...having a normal life. Maybe marriage and...kids." Miranda looked down and away from me slowly.

"I was just saying. You and I could be soldiers forever or...you know, whatever."

"No," Miranda laughed softly. "it's not that." Miranda turned to face me, with new tears in her beautiful eyes. "I'm afraid I can't give you that." I stayed silent for awhile, not really sure where this was going. "Charlie I... I can't do this." She breathed, her body shook and I got out of my stool and held her.

"Don't worry, we can live on the Normandy until you are."

Miranda pushed me violently off of her. "That's not what I meant damn it! I mean I can't have children!"

I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn't. I sat on the stool once more and looked at her. I knew she wasn't saying it just for spite. It was the truth. "What do you mean?"

Miranda gave me a message from her omni-tool. I opened up the forward and skimmed it. _'We can confirm that the progressive damage renders you unable to conceive a child.'_ I looked back up to Miranda who simply observed for my reaction before looking back down at the message.

"You won't be happy with me Commander." She said finally. She said it so matter-of-factually that it send shivers down my spine.

I shook my head and turned off my omni-tool. "No! I won't leave you."

Miranda's face turned to rage. "Why are you so bloody stubborn! I just told you I CAN'T HAVE CHILDREN! You're dream is ruined because of me. I suggest you go to that Alliance bitch and start over."

_She wants me to end this? _"I am _not_ leaving you Miranda."

"Why!"

I flared my biotics and slammed my fists on the countertop, causing Miranda to jump in her seat. "Because I don't want anyone else other than you, you...you..." _Damn it! "_You stubborn woman!"

"Yeah well you certainly know who to pick do you?" Miranda walked at a quickened pace towards the bedroom.

I grabbed her by the wrist and spun her around. "Stop, Miri-"

"-Let go of me!"

"Do I have to put you in stasis?" I glared but Miranda soon gave in. I softened my grip and lead her to the bedroom. We sat on the edge of the bed, holding each other's hands. "Is it treatable?"

"What?"

"Is it treatable..." I repeated.

"I...I don't know." Miranda shifted her gaze and looked down at our hands. "I've gone to many doctors and they have told me the same thing."

"Well then kids don't matter." I squeeze her petite hands and leaned down so she could look at me. "All I want is you."

"But what if I want kids in the future?" She asked.

"Then we can adopt. If not we can grow one." I said immediately.

She looked up at me and glared. "Absolutely not!"

_Good idea dumbass! _I sigh internally and look down. "Then...then we'll find a doctor who can fix you. I have two in mind."

"Who?" She says softly.

"Well there's Mordin. I'm sure he would accept the challenge." I gently held her chin in my hand. "Then there's this sexy Cerberus operative who revived me. I don't think you've met her. She's brilliant and one of the smartest women I have ever met." I smirked as she her eyes looked up at me. "It's your decision. I'll stand by you every step of the way."

"O-okay..." Miranda smiles weakly. I give her a kiss on the lips.

"Your tongue tastes like alcohol." I scrunch my nose playfully, gaining a swat from my lover.

"You ass." We both grin as we lock eyes with one another.

We push each other down on the bed. Miranda rests her head on my chest and wraps her small arms around my waist. "Get some sleep Miri. I love you."

"...I love you too."

**Castle Suites - Room 1028 - Miranda Lawson - 0955**

After a long shower, I move over to the drawer in the bedroom and pick out my outfit from one of the suitcases I brought in yesterday.

"You know...I never get tired of seeing your naked body." I jumped up from a bent over position and found Charlie leaning on the doorway, with his arms crossed and a hungry look on his face.

I gave him a smile and placed my hands on my hips. "Aren't you supposed to be cooking breakfast for our guests that are coming in five minutes?"

Charlie shrugs his shoulders. "I guess but I prefer seeing this than watch some breakfast being cooked...or burned in this case."

I roll my eyes but make my way towards him. I remove my hands from my hips and wrapped them around his waist. I lean up to him and give him a kiss. "Behave and you may be rewarded later tonight." I whisper seductively in his ear. "You think you can do that...Chuck?" I added, emphasizing the 'k' in his nickname, before gently biting his ear.

Being this close to him always makes him nervous, especially when whispering ever so softly in his ear. I hear him gulp before he laughs nervously. "Yeah! I-I think so."

"Good, now be a good boy and watch that food before it's ruined."

Charlie salutes and runs off to the kitchen. I smile and head back to drawer, picking out a pair of dark blue jeans and a matching V-neck long sleep top. I pull the sleeves up my upper arm when I hear Charlie heading up for the door.

"Hey Commander!" I hear Oriana's voice as I move back to the bathroom to put on some light makeup. I turn halfway to the left, then to the right, checking myself in the mirror. I breathe deeply and run my hands through my shirt to smooth any wrinkles and walk out of the bathroom and out the bedroom.

"Randa!" Oriana smiles at me, runs over to me and gives me a tackling hug. I stumble back and almost fall from the sheer force but we were saved by the wall. I look over at Charlie who is looking at us with an amused smirk on his face. I return my sister's hug and smile.

"Good morning. I'm glad you came." I say as Oriana pulls away and smiles.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss getting a chance to know you and the Commander." She looked back at him and then at me. "So," she lowers a voice to a whisper, "you're going out with him? What's he like?" She winks and I immediately blush.

"Ori!" I whisper back.

She giggles and pokes me on the stomach. "Oh come on! Is he as amazing as they say on the tabloids?"

I ignore her and look at the young man talking with Charlie. "Who's that?" I ask. I know who exactly that man is. I know everything about him. Danner Gossimah: Twenty years old, majoring in biological engineering. Danner and Oriana have been dating for one year, eleven months and twenty days.

Danner sported a tailored grey suit and a black tie. _Clearly he's here to impress me._ His brown hair was styled neatly in a business-type hairstyle. His hair was short on the sides and the top and front of his hair was style to the side with hair product. _I'm sure Oriana planned all of this._ He was handsome to say the least but clearly overdressed for this.

"That's my boyfriend." Oriana turned to the two men by the doorway. "Danner get your butt over here!"

Danner broke his conversation with Charlie and shyly made his way towards me. Once he saw me, he blushed and looked down at the floor. I am both surprised and relieved he wasn't staring. I would have probably killed him if he was.

"Miranda this is my boyfriend, Danner Gossimah. Danner this is my sister, Miranda Lawson."

"H-hello..." He said softly. I arched my brow while Charlie wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Be easy on the kid. He almost feinted when he saw me." Charlie whispered in my ear. "Though, when I first met you I almost did the same."

I groaned so only he could hear and extended my hand, forcing myself to smile. "Nice to meet you."

Despite everything, Danner firmly shook my hand. "It's good to meet you too."

"Well, why don't you two sit down?" Charlie smiled, looking at Danner and Ori. "I made a nice late breakfast spread. Miranda, would you help me with the plates?" When I refused, he gave me a look. "Come on sweetheart." I rolled my eyes and followed him in the kitchen.

"I shouldn't leave her alone Ch-"

"Oh give me a break. They're a couple!" He stroked my arm. "Relax and enjoy this uhhh...double date."

"Fine." I conceded. "But if he touches her, I'll kill him."

"You will do no such thing." Charlie ordered as he held two plates on each hand.

_Fine, I'll kill you then him._ I replied in my mind. I yanked two of the plates and walked away from him with a huff. I regained my composure and walked towards the table where Danner and Ori sat next to each other. I sat one plate in front of Danner, letting it fall in front of him and I gently placed Ori's in front of her.

Charlie cleared his throat, clearly watched what I just did. I frowned and sat across from my sister. Charlie placed one plate in front of me and placed the other on the spot next to me. Charlie sat next to me and squeezed my leg under the table.

With a smile, Charlie exclaimed, "Let's dig in!"

***Knock knock knock***

The four of us look at one another then looked over at the door.

***Knock knock knock knock***

Charlie stood with a grunt at the annoyance and headed at the door, mumbling something under his breath. I stood and quickly followed. Danner stood then Oriana did as well.

***Knock knock knock knock***

"I'm coming you idi-" Charlie opened the door and was met by two familiar faces.

"S-Shepard? Liara?"

**Castle Suites - Room 1028 - Commander Alonso - 1010 hours**

_Jane? What the hell?_

"Jane? Liara?" My mouth dropped at the surprise. _How did they find us? _"I'm a little surprised here." I laughed nervously. "Ummm...what are you... wha-wha-what are you two doing here?" I laughed again, scratching my shoulders.

"Hello Charles." Liara smiled.

I smiled at Liara and turned to Shepard. "Jane?"

Shepard sighed. "Are you going to let us in?"

I grunted. _Well this is fucking great. _I moved aside, letting the two in.

Once inside, Danner's mouth dropped. "C-commander Shepard?" His eyes rolled to the back of his head and feinted. I put my head in my hands and sighed. _A good morning ruined._

"Danner!" Oriana kneeled down beside him and began calling him out.

"I'll be right back." I groaned and walked over grab an onion. I cut it in half and walked over to Danner's unconscious body and placed the half under Danner's nose. Moments later, Danner gained consciousness, sniffing and swatting away my hand. "You okay buddy?"

"I...I think so. Thank you." Danner smiled generously and sat up.

"You're such a dork." Oriana giggled and kiss him on the lips. Miranda began to open her mouth to scold her younger sister but decided against it.

"I'm sorry if we interrupted...whatever you guys were doing." Jane rubbed the back of her head.

"No," I stood and offered my hand to Danner, who took it before looking back at Shepard. "Everything was going as planned before you showed up. Miranda was meeting her sister and her boyfriend. Nothing really important was _remotely _going on here." I glared, gaining the same expression from Jane.

"We need to talk." She said. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned on my hip. "Please?"

"Go ahead Chuck. We'll be out here." Miranda touched my shoulder.

I frowned but grabbed Jane's hand and took her to the bedroom. "What is it?" I asked as I sat at the edge of the bed.

"You don't know?" She asked.

"I know that I'm losing my patience." I snap back.

"Okay first of all, I'm tired of your shit Charlie. I knew this was a bad idea." Jane flailed her arms in frustration.

"Then why the hell did you come here?" I asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Because I miss you damn it!" Shepard yelled. "I miss us...I mean what happened?" Jane sat next to me. "We used to be a _team_. We would come to each other when we were alone. Now, I can't even do it because you found Miranda. I...miss you. For two fucking years...Two years Charlie! I missed everything about you. Your laugh, your smile..." She began to shed tears. "your stupid jokes, just being with you. I miss our movie nights where we would spend hours watching old vids. I lost everything when you died...A-a part of me died with you. I...I can't...I can't!"

_God I'm such a fucking idiot!_ I pulled her close to me and held her shivering body in my arms. "Jane...I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for being an asshole. I love you Jane. You won't lose me again. I promise. Can you forgive me?" Wordlessly, still crying, Jane nodded and wrapped her arms tighter around me. "I've been such a terrible friend lately and I'm sorry. Once we head back to the Normandy, I'll try to be a better friend."

Jane slowly pulled away and calmed down. I reached up and wiped the wetness on her face with my thumb. "There's something else. I-I'm sorry but we have to cut our break short. Tali has been spotted traveling to Geth territory, heading towards a planet called Haestrom."

"Wait. Geth Territory? It will take forever for us to get there!" I frowned. "Miri's not gonna like this." I breathed deeply and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Alright, I guess that means we have to leave now, doesn't it." Jane nodded slowly. "Okay...Uhh shit. I'm gonna start packing up and I'll meet you outside?" Shepard nodded and left the bedroom.

"Miri!" I shouted. "Can I see you for a moment?" Miranda walked in moments later. I frowned and looked down. "Look I hate to do this but we have to leave right now. Jane got word that Tali Zorah is heading to Geth Space. We have to leave if we are to catch up to her."

"But what about my sister?" She asked.

I paused to think. "How about...Here, give Oriana the room's card keys." I gave her my key. "Go talk with her and I'll finish packing." Miranda smiled then nodded and left the room.

Before we left, I grabbed Oriana and pulled her away to talk to her. "I'm sorry that today hasn't gone out as any of us hoped."

The younger Lawson waved her hand dismissively. "Oh it's fine! I understand you're out there saving the world and trying to get the girl." She winked, causing me to blush. "She wouldn't admit it to me but I can tell she likes you." She paused and looked down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at me. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything." I smile.

"Take care of her okay? I don't know what she does for a living but I want you to promise me that she won't get hurt."

I smile and nod. "I promise." I pull up my omni-tool at send her two contact infos. "This first one is Miranda's relay chat that I use to annoy her when I have nothing better to do. She could use a sister to talk to. I'm sure she will be very happy to talk to you. The other one is mine. If you need anything, don't hesitate to send me a message."

"Thank you so much Commander." Oriana wraps her arms around me into a tight hug.

"Please, it's Charlie or Chuck."

"Okay...Chuck." Oriana blushes and I couldn't help but laugh at how she looks like her older sister right now.

"Take care of the room for us. Don't break anything." I wink and make my leave.

**Illium - Normandy Airlock - Commander Alonso - 1040 hours**

"Call me okay?" Liara nuzzled her nose with Jane's as the two stood in each other's arms. I roll my eyes and pulled Jane away from her lover.

"I love you!" Jane said dramatically with her free hand reaching towards Liara.

"Come on Romeo, inside the ship." I chuckle as I drag Jane's dead weight.

Once inside, the Jane composed herself and walked over towards the elevator.

"Hey Commander!" Joker swung his seat around to face me.

"Yes Joker?" I breathed, leaning on the arch.

"Take any pictures of your nights in paradise?"

"Nope." I grinned. Joker frowned.

"You're no fun."

"It's not what I heard." I laugh as I leave the pilot. "Set a course to Haestrom Flight Lieutenant!" I walk over to Kelly who smiled once she removed her eyes from the terminal. "Hey Kelly, how have you been?"

"I'm doing great. I apologize for the abrupt end of shore leave Commander." Kelly pouted and glanced down at her terminal.

"It's not your fault Kelly."

"I...I took the liberty to feed your fish while you were gone." Kelly blushed. "I just could let those poor animals die."

I chuckle and place my hand on top of hers. "I appreciate that Chambers. Anything else I should know?"

"Thane, Samara, Kasumi, and Amanda wish to speak with you. You will want to alert Shepard when you talk with our drell guest. He wants to speak with her too."

"Alright, thank you. I'll talk with them shortly. I'm going to go up to my cabin for a few minutes. Is the XO in her quarters?"

"I believe so Commander."

"That will be all Kelly." I smiled, which is gladly returned by the adorable redhead.

"I will be here when you need anything."

**Thirty minutes later...**

After unpacking and a quick, cold shower later, I head down to see Amanda down in engineering. I walked in, finding her up on the ceiling, fixing something with a few wrenches.

"What are you doing up there?" I ask.

She jumped in surprise and looked down. "Oh hey! You're back. I'm fixing a leak from the bathroom up in the crew deck. It's messing up my systems."

"Oh, if you are busy, I could come in some other time."

"I'm almost done. Just...gotta...get this thing in place! There!" Amanda jumped down and wiped the grime from her hands with her pants. "It looks like we'll be seeing Tali again." Strurridge smiled and her eyes glimmered in anticipation. "Maybe she'll get to join us after we help her."

"It would be nice to have another familiar face on board my ship." I agreed. "Since we are heading over to Geth space and you're an engineer, think you're up to fight some Geth?"

"Sounds like fun Charlie." Amanda rubbed her hands cutely in anticipation. "So...had a good shore leave?"

"Since when do you gossip?" I smirk at the young engineer, leaning on the hand rail.

"You kidding me? 'Gossip' is my middle name. All thanks to Tali and Kasumi."

I shake my head and chuckle. "Miranda and I had to go on a mission last night. It was about her sister."

"Yeah, she told me about that. I'm glad her sister is alright. She told me about something else too." Amanda rubbed her stomach so that Gabby or Kenneth couldn't hear.

"Yeah...I'm surprised she told you."

Amanda shrugged her shoulders. "We've known each other for awhile. She was the one who recruited me after all."

"She's a smart woman." I pursed my lips together, "She'll think of something."

"You think it will work?" She asked.

"With Lawson, anything is possible. If not, then I won't think less of her." We stand in silence for awhile. "So...everyone knows we are..."

"Together?" A corner of her lips curled upward. "It was bound to happen with the bickering you two had initially."

"Life changes fast..." I say as I reflect. "Anything else?" I ask moments later. Amanda shakes her head. "Alright, I'll catch you later. I'm off to talk to Jack."

I walk down the stairs and into Jack's lair, finding her sitting on a chair, legs crossed and propped up on a pile of containers. "Ah the cheerleader fucker has arrived! So tell me, is she a screamer or a moaner?"

"Jack..." I say between gritted teeth. "That's none of your business."

Jack laughed maniacally. "God you're so easy. Why the fuck are you down here anyway?"

"I came down here to see if you found anything on Cerberus yet." I leaned on the wall and crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'm still reading all the files. Your Cerberus pals have done some fucked up shit."

_Tell me something I don't know. _"What if you find answers you aren't expecting?"

"I'm not looking for answers. I'm looking for names, dates, and places. Once I find what I want, I go hunting and anyone and everyone who fucked with me pays. The galaxy is going to be a lot emptier when I'm done with it."

"What's up with you and Cerberus that made you so...uhhh." _Shit. _"Well you."

"They raised me in a research facility." The tattooed biotic dropped her legs and stood, walking over the darkest part of her lair. "They did experiments on me. I escaped when I was a kid and I have been on the run ever since. Cerberus has chased me ever since but soon?" Jack began putting her pistol back together. "It'll be me that will do all the chasing."

"Well you certainly have given this a lot of thought."

"I have spent every hour thinking about my kills. Every kill I've made so far? I pretend it's the one that did this to me."

_Charming._ "Alright, let me know when find something."

Jack nodded and watched Jack sit back to her chair before I left. While going up the stairs, I scratched my head. _God Jack is one fucked up psycho._ I walked over to the elevator and headed to see Kasumi.

The thief sat across the sofa, reading a book from the library. "Oh hey Chuckles. How was the shore leave? I doubt you got enough sleep." Her lips formed a grin.

"Geez is there nothing sacred?" I flailed my arms before sitting next to her with an exasperated sigh. "What's up?"

"I have been looking at Keiji's Greybox. It...it isn't good. He was right. If this information was ever presented to the council, the Alliance could be in a lot of trouble."

"Is there a way you can just destroy the information? I know there are stuff that you would like to keep." I asked.

Kasumi looked down and frowned. "No. I tried but Keiji's a master at encryption. If I were to delete one, I would delete all of it."

"Then I'm afraid to say... do it. I'm sorry but it has to be done. If he mentions that the consequences are severe, then destroy the information. You don't need some greybox to have his memories here." I pointed to the thief's heart.

The thief breathed a sigh of relief. "I...I'm glad you said it. I already did it. You're right. I will never forget him."

I nodded and smiled sadly, resting my hand on her thigh. "You made the right choice Kasumi. Don't forget that."

"I won't Commander. Thank you."

I nodded and stood. "Anytime Kasumi." I walked to the other side of the hall to see my teacher. Samara sat in a mantis pose, biotics swirling around her. I quietly walked next to her and copied her pose, flaring my own biotics.

"Charles. I sense you are in high spirits." Samara spoke minutes later.

_Damn it her too?_ I laugh nervously after my biotics fizzled away. "I apologize for not speaking with you sooner and I apologize for the quick exit out of the Illium. I hope XO Lawson found the name of the ship Morinth left on?"

"She did. She... is very protective of you." Samara's biotics disappeared and turned to face me with a small smile.

"She didn't like threaten you did she?" _Shit I hope Samara doesn't kill her because of it._

"She did not. I was simply saying that she was the one who carried you to this ship's med bay."

"Oh...well she revived me and is responsible for my well being." I scratched my shoulder and looked out at the dark space outside. "When did your daughter resurface?"

"I have heard that Morinth came to Illium a few weeks ago. She took the life of a teenage girl and went to the eclipse sisters and seduced two of them. One of which you saw. Morinth told her to kill the other that was involved."

"Damn it!" I punched the ground beside me. "We'll get her. I'll have my people run the name of the ship. I just hope we aren't too late when Morinth decides to strike again. She won't escape us next time."

"I have the upmost faith we will succeed Charles." She began to stand and I soon followed. "I must be sworn to your service, so that I am never forced to choose between your choices and my code." I nodded, knowing that she would have to. Samara closed her eyes; then opened them, her eyes turned white. She closed them once more and kneeled to one knee before me.

"By the code, I will serve you Charles. Your choices are my choices. Your morals are my morals. Your wishes are my code." As soon as she finished, she flared her biotics brightly that caused me to shield my eyes. My teacher stood shortly thereafter.

I walked over to her and gave her a hug. "It's good to have another chance to work with you Samara."

"I feel the same way." She smiled.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to the drell."

"I have spoken with him briefly. For an assassin, he isn't what I would have expected. I will continue speaking with him."

I give my final nod and head towards Shepard's quarters finding her listening to music while lying down on the bed in boy shorts and a spaghetti strapped camisole.

"Hey." She sat up on the bed and smiled.

I smiled back and sat at the edge of the bed. "You busy?" Jane shakes her head 'no'. "Get dressed. Thane wants to see us."

While she got dressed, I walked into her bathroom and looked myself in the mirror. _I should probably get these Lazarus scars removed. _I leaned forwards and ran a finger through a scar right below my right eyes.

"You okay?" Jane asked as she put her head through the opening of her shirt.

I shrug my shoulders, now running my finger on a scar that ran across my chin. _It's gotten bigger. _I frowned. "I'll have to talk to Chakwas about these scars. At first I didn't mind...Thought I looked awesome but not so much anymore."

Jane walked in and inspected my face to take a closer look. "They seem to have gotten bigger. You think it was because of the toxin?"

"Maybe."

"Does it hurt?" She frowned as she lifted my shirt a bit and found more.

"They're just like any other scar Jane. I don't feel any different...in case you wanted to know, I'm not a clone or anything."

Jane stepped away and brought up her hands. "I know, I know. I was just curious." She sighed and rubbed the back of her head. I frowned, knowing that I made her uncomfortable. "Well I'm ready when you are." I nodded and the two of us walk down the hall, took a right and headed to the Life Support Control Room.

Thane was sitting away from the door watching the small window out to the ship's drive core. Thane turned his face and stood to greet us with a bow. "Hello Shepard." He smiled towards Jane before setting his dark eyes to me. "Ah, Commander Alonso." He extended his hand, which I took. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, Thane. I apologize for not getting to meet you sooner but I was...in a rush." I saw Jane frown from the corner of my eyes. "I hope this room is sufficient. I was briefed that you were sick."

"Yes, as I have said to Commander Shepard, my illness is not communicable, even to other drell. It's called Kepral's Syndrome."

"What is it exactly and how much time do you have?" I asked.

"I should be fine for another eight to twelve months. The more time I spend in humid environments, the faster it progresses." Thane wrapped his arms behind his back, looked down and slowly began to pace. "My people are native to an arid world. Though, most of us live on Kahje, the hanar homeworld. There, it is humid and rains every day. Our lungs can't deal with the moisture. Over time, the tissue loses its ability to absorb oxygen and as a result, become even harder to breathe. Eventually, we suffocate."

"That's...horrible." I frown. _I would assume that it's extremely common._ I shiver runs up my spine and I try my best to keep calm. I am relieved that my attempt was successful. "Is there a cure?" I ask finally.

"The hanar have funded a genetic engineering program. We should be able to adapt us. However, the project has only been operational for a few years. I doubt my body will still draw breath by the time it bears fruit."

"Is there anything we can do for you? The ship has a state of the art med bay." Jane joined in.

"No thank you. It's being attended to. If the finest minds in the hanar Illuminated Primacy can't solve the problem, I doubt the ship's medic could. Thank you for your concern. The both of you. I assure you it won't affect my performance." Thane bowed and returned to sit back in the chair, bringing his elbow up on the desk, his hands clasped together and looking out at the small window.

I poked at Jane and she nodded, knowing that we should leave the assassin to do whatever it was he was doing.

I walked straight out and headed towards the XO's office.

"Hey." Jane said sadly. I turned around and waited. "You don't want to spend time with me?" I was about to speak, pointing my thumb behind me towards Miranda's office when Jane gave me the worst hurt puppy dog face I have seen from her .

I rolled my eyes and flailed my arms. "You are a terrible pouter." Jane's mouth pouted even more. I sighed and pointed towards the elevator. "Go up to my quarters. I'll be there in a minute."

Shepard beamed a smile and headed towards the elevator.

I laughed, shaking my head as I took a short walk to see Miranda, who was already back to work. She looked up at me and stopped typing.

"I don't like the idea of leaving our room in the hands of children." She glared her steel blue eyes at me. I sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk and crossed my right leg over my thigh.

"We can't let the room go to waste. They'll be fine." I reassured. "I came in to talk to you about our conversation last night. Are you okay?"

Miranda nodded towards the sofa at the end of the room. I stood up and followed her and sat next to her. "Are you sure about us? You probably won't have any kids once this whole thing is over."

I grabbed her hands and stroked them, smiling at her. "How many times do I have to tell you that I love you? You're not getting away from me that easily. Besides, having kids right now isn't exactly the best time. We'll see what the future holds."

"I'm sorry. It's just...I want you to be happy Ch-"

"-I'm happy with you." I interrupted. Miranda blushed and I reached up to touch her cheek. "You have no idea how much you really mean to me."

Miranda turned even a brighter shade of pink. "I'll... talk to Morin when I take a few moments to myself and grab my bearings."

I nodded and leaned over to give her a kiss on the lips. "If you want me to come with you, let me know. Alright?" Miranda nodded and returned my kiss. "Now I have to go. A child is waiting up for me in my quarters."

"Shepard?" She asked, surprising a laugh.

"Shepard." I rolled my eyes. "To be honest, we are both surrounded by children."

"That commander," Miranda leaned back, wrapping her arms around the top of the sofa, crossing one leg over the other and turned to give me a seductive smirk. "I can agree with."

I looked at her pose and I couldn't help but stare. The way she arched her back so her breasts stuck out; how she made circles with her fingers over the top of sofa before moving up my arm; the way she re-crossed her legs with such carefulness and finesse; the way she was looking at me with lust and hunger in her eyes. It took every ounce of me not to pounce on her and have her. She grinned and inched closer and closer to the point where she was almost on top of me.

"Miri," I gulped, "I should-"

"Shhh." She placed her finger on my lips then straddled me. "You could just kick Shepard out and we could have the next few hours to ourselves in yours quarters. We won't reach Haestrom for five more days." She leaned in and whispered in my ear. "_Five days Commander. _Five days to do _whatever_ you want. Or...you can just lock the door to my quarters and have your way with me here. Doesn't that seem like a good plan _Chuck_?" She leaned back to observe panicked expression.

"Heh." I gulped and laughed nervously.

_I...I don't know what to do! If I stay, Shepard will kill me. If I go, Miri AND Shepard will kill me; the latter for making her wait this long. Damn you Miri and your ultimatums!_


	17. Biotics 101

**Hello everyone! I've got a quick story update and it's a steamy one!**

**If you aren't a fan of sex scenes or bad written sex scenes (it's not my speciality but I'm still trying), then please feel free to skip this chapter. **

**Subsider: Sadly there wasn't isn't an interruption :( please don't be mad! *hides***

**Anyway, please forgive my crappy sex scene and see you guys on the other side!**

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Biotics 101

**November 14, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Shepard - 1135 hours**

I tapped my foot impatiently, sitting on the large 'L' shaped sofa, waiting for Charlie to join me and spend some time together. I knew that he went over to check on his girlfriend, the oh so perfect, Miranda Lawson. Surely it wouldn't take him long to talk and say his goodbye.

I have been waiting for almost half an hour.

The door swooshed opened and I jolted out of my butt, and ran to him. _I'm going to kil- _"What the hell happened?" I asked with shock as I saw a deep red hand print of Charlie's right cheek. Charlie looked down in defeat, before his eyes looked at me in anger.

"I should blame you for this." He said, pushing me to the side and took a detour to his bathroom. I shyly wrapped my hands behind my back, and slowly walked towards the bathroom. I knocked on the door lightly but heard no response back.

"Charlie?" I knocked twice. "You okay?"

No response. I huffed in silence and knocked once more. Charlie walked out with a bag held up to his cheek by his hand and silently walked down to the sofa and crashed down with a sigh. "Was it Miranda?"

"Who else would slap me this hard?" he asked rhetorically.

_Me._ I replied in my mind but I kept it to myself. I walked to sit next to him and removed his hand to take a look at the hand mark. "It's not too bad." I say with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah well I should probably thank you. This is nothing. Miranda has banished me from seeing her until we arrive at Haestrom. I hope you're happy."

I roll my eyes and lightly punch him in the stomach. "At least that gives us time to spend with each other."

"I'm thrilled." He muttered under his breath.

"So, what do you want to do?" I ask, ignoring his lack of enthusiasm.

"Die." He frowned. "I won't see her for the next five days."

"Wow such a drama queen." I laugh.

"Am not!" He said incredulously. "At least you get to talk with Liara and see her sometimes. I'll be here suffering being on the same ship with her but not being able to see her."

"Poor you!" I roll my eyes again. "Want to watch some blasto?"

Charlie's frown disappeared. "Absolutely!" He smiled.

**November 17, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Cargo Bay - Shooting Range - Commander Shepard - 1945 hours**

***BANG***

"Not even close." I smirk as Charlie shot with my M-55 Argus rifle. The night before, I encouraged him to learn how to use assault rifles. With the ship traveling to the Far Rim, I doubt Charlie will be successful with his Close Quarters Combat assault tactic against the Geth. Every time he tries, it turns out to be a disaster like his foolish attempt to take on a Destroyer back on Virmire. We've been training since lunch and he still wasn't getting the hang of it. He got a bruise because of the kickback.

"Yeah well it's not like a shotgun!" He glared as he reloaded the gun in his hands, punching it in frustration.

"You're right. You need to be more accurate. Focus Commander."

Charlie sighed but turned to face the target on the far side of the cargo bay. The elevator opened and Garrus stepped out. "I'm glad nobody else is watching. I was up in engineering having a chat with Sturridge and noticed our CO trying to shoot the target...Spirits this is embarrassing."

"I heard that!" Charlie muttered.

"Well it's true." The turian grinned.

Charlie breathed deeply and took the shot. He missed again.

"Oh for Christ's sakes Charlie!" I yelled. "Focus!" Charlie frowned and lowered his shoulder.

Garrus shook his head. "I've got an idea. Look ahead Alonso." Charlie nodded and brought up his rifle. "Ready, Aim and picture me with Miranda." He grinned.

_What?_ I did a double take._ Is he insane?_

Charlie flared his biotics and shot. And thankfully, he got the target. Garrus smiled and nudged me on the shoulder. "Good. Do it again."

"If I hear that again, you're in trouble buddy." Charlie glanced at Garrus before looking down at his target. He breathed and squeezed the trigger and the target fell again.

I smile and walked over to pat Charlie on the back. "Good job. I think we are done for the day. See you tomorrow."

Charlie put his rifle on his back and the three of us walked to the elevator. Garrus and I were in the back and Charlie was up front. He pressed the button for the CIC and the elevator closed.

"Hey guys!" Kasumi appeared and the three of us jumped. "Chuck you need to open your stance up a bit."

"I'll keep it in mind." Charlie sighed and got out and walked towards the armory.

"Anyone up for some Skyllian five?" I asked as the doors closed.

"I'm in." Garrus smiled.

"Eh what the hell, I'm in too." Kasumi nodded.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - CIC - Armory - Commander Alonso - 2000 hours**

I opened the weapons cache and threw the Argus rifle on the rack. "God damn it!" I yelled and punched the door shut.

"Wow, someone is in a having a rough day." I jumped at the voice and found Miranda grinning at me. I turned back and began removing my armor. "You alright?" she asked.

"Peachy." I reply, unclasping my leggings and putting them in my case. I unbuckle the clasps of my arms and remove them as well.

"You don't sound happy."

"Yeah well that's what happens when your girlfriend banishes you and refuses to talk to you." I say back harsher than was intended. Still not willing to face her, I remove my chest plate and put it in my case and put it away. "Is there something you need Operative Lawson?" By the time I turned to face her, she was already pushing me down on the floor, her lips on mine hard.

I groaned as I hit the ground with a loud thump and while Miranda straddles me. As I fell, I felt Miranda biting deep into my skin and I winced in pain. I pulled her close to me as our lips refused to separate. Eventually, we needed to break our intense kiss and once we did, I touched the inner part of my lip and found out I had a cut. "You bit me!"

"Well that's your fault." Miranda grinned before standing and brushing her catsuit with her hands.

"How the hell is getting bit my fault?" I asked incredulously as I stood.

"You were supposed to grab onto something."

I blushed and looked shyly down. "Well you kind of surprised me so I couldn't react...in time."

Miranda leaned in to whisper to me. "Report to your cabin in half an hour _Commander, _I'll be waiting."

I took a sharp intake of breath while her finger traveled down my arm. Miranda winked devilishly and walked out of the armory with a sway of her delicious hips. I cleared my throat and headed to check on Mordin. We have been previously speaking about his work and STG and his work on the Genophage. It's an interesting point of view from someone who worked in STG. I walked in, Mordin walked typed in his terminal.

"Ah Commander, need me for something?"

I nodded once I stood across from him. "Do you have a moment?"

Mordin smiled and walked to the left. "Yes, wanted to talk. Medical matters." _Oh boy, am I sick? I can't be sick._ "Relax, nothing is wrong. You are in perfect health. Aware mission is dangerous." Mordin paused and inhaled through his nose. "Different species...react differently to stress. Sexual activity common for humans in such time." _Wait what? Is he giving me sex advice?!_ I gulped and nervously blushed. "Understand intellectually but must advice caution when dealing with Cerberus."

"Y-you have any...uhhh...recommendations?" I asked as I pulled on my shirt collar.

Mordin smiled. "_Watch for bugs._ They could be planted anywhere. Can perform exam if necessary. Will need probes." _Probes? I...hope I'm not bugged._ Mordin brought up his omni-tool and sent me something to my omni-tool. "Biotic ability also has benefits. Forwarding booklet to your quarters and your omni-tool. Includes diagrams, exercises, inventive uses of mass effect fields. Can supply oils or ointments to reduce discomfort. Gave EDI electronic relationship aid demonstration vids for you to use as necessary." _Wait...did he just say he gave EDI porn so I could...watch it?_

_Mordin gave me PORN!? No this has to be some sort of joke._

"Mordin...are you yanking my..." I shook my head. _Don't say that! _"Y-you're messing with me right?"

Mordin gasped and took a step back. "_Shocking_ suggestion! Doctor-patient confidentiality a sacred trust! Would never dream...of mockery. Enjoy yourself while possible Commander." Mordin smiled, "Will be here studying cell reproduction. Must simpler. Less alcohol and mood music required." Mordin nodded and walked over to his iMuse music box and began playing music.

_Mordin listens to...who is that?_ Soft saxophone music began playing throughout Mordin's lab and I press my omni-tool and hit a few commands. The omni-tool responds by telling me the artist and song name. _Kenny G - Waiting for You...Huh, interesting choice. _I shrug my shoulders and head back toward the elevator, skimming through the booklet Mordin gave me.

_'Using biotics can be used as a body stimulant. The electrical fields in a biotic's body creates small discharges that are similar to when a biotic touches metal. A high ration intake must be required in order to achieve this, as a biotic would need twice as much biotic power as one would normally would. Over time however, ninety percent of patients have said that a large intake was not required.'_

I grinned. _Eating then followed by sex? Sounds like heaven to me. _I looked up to the heavens and mouthed, 'Thank you Mordin'. I immediately pressed deck three and headed into the mess hall. I ran to the fridge and grabbed everything I could get my hands on and ate them. From Miranda's labeled fruit bowls that said 'Do not touch', to a large piece of cake. It took me about ten minutes to eat everything, giving me just about five minutes to spare. I picked up the plates and dumped everything on the kitchen sink and ran to the elevator. I breathed to regain my composure and pressed Deck One. One the slow elevator ride up, I decided to do a little test run. I flared my biotics, surrounding myself with biotic energy but I felt no different. _Well let's hope it works. _I said to myself as a slow grin spread across my lips.

_Oh Miranda my dear, you're gonna get it._

The elevator door opened and I stepped out. I cleared my throat and breathed to hide my grin and excitement. I stepped in and Miranda was laying on my bed in a red laced bra and panties. I arched my brow as I slowly walked down the steps.

"Hello Commander." She said softly in a husky voice.

I couldn't hide my grin anymore. "Hi. EDI Lock the door. I don't want to hear anything or be disturbed by _anyone_ until we reach Haestrom."

"Understood Commander. Logging you out."

"You think you can keep me satisfied for the next few hours Charlie?" Miranda ran a finger slowly over her bent up leg.

_Heh, Miri, Miri, Miri. You have no idea. _"I'll do my best." I walked to my drawer and searched for some sort of blindfold. _No way I'm letting her know about the biotics...at least not up front._

"What are you looking for?" She asks.

"Something to blindfold you with." I say evenly, digging all of my clothes out of the cabinets.

"Oh? This is different. Luckily I have one." I stopped and turned my head to see a black blindfold around Miranda's hand.

I smile and say, "Put it on."

Miranda narrowed her eyes at me but complied. "I hope you have some sort of plan?"

"Oh don't worry about it." I say as I take off my clothes and join her on the bed. "I'm sure you will enjoy it."

"Then by all means, do your worst."

_That's the plan sweetheart. _I lean down to kiss her, with my hands already reaching for the clasp on her bra. In one fluid motion, I remove the bra off of her and throw it behind me. A moan escapes her soft lips as my hands gently squeeze her large breasts. I begin kissing her again, before moving lower; kissing and gently biting her nipples. Miranda whimpers as my tongue comes into play and my hand reaches down and inside her lace panties, already finding her wet. I tease her, rubbing her clit at different paces, creating small circles before removing my hand entirely and bringing it up to my mouth to taste.

"Mmm delicious as always. You must have been extremely lonely. How _terrible_ it must have been for you," I move up to her lips and kiss her once more, trailing to the side and whisper delicately in her ear, "that because you banished me, I was nowhere to please you, like this." I lower my hand back to where it was before and I slid a finger inside of her, gaining a squeal from my girlfriend and now prisoner to the hell I will put her through in the next few hours. "You have been craving me haven't you?"

Miranda bit her lower lip and nods up and down. I grin and continue. "You see, when you banished me a few days ago, I thought of many ways I could get back at you." I lightly flared my biotics that caused Miranda to jump slightly. I smiled at her reaction and I wanted to use more but I wanted this to last as long and as torturing as possible. "I didn't have anything until now." I leaned closer and whispered in her ear once more while I slid in another finger inside of her pussy. "Now, I'm afraid that you're just going to have to suffer as punishment." My biotics grew and Miranda gasped and tried to sit up. She tightly wrapped her arms around my arm that was thrusting slowly in and out of her.

"What the fuck is that?" She asked, her body began to slightly twitch. "Fuck..." Miranda flopped back down and grabbed the bed sheet in a tight fist. Wanting to taste her again, I crawled down between her legs, spreading them apart so I could get a better view. I gasped when I saw just how wet she was. _I've never seen anything like this._ I thanked Mordin once more and went to work, working my tongue around her clit and inside her pussy, my biotics flaring even more. _God this is amazing._

"Chuck...what...ever...you're doing...please don't stop." Miranda breathed as she grabbed her breasts while writhing her head back in forth with pleasure. _God she's so hot._ Miranda began reaching for her blindfold and I stopped what I was doing and crawled up to grab her wrists. "Wh-why did you stop!" Miranda yelled and reached up to take her blindfold off. I quickly grabbed her hands to stop her.

"If you take that blind fold off, I'll stop immediately. You wouldn't want _that_ would you?" I asked. Miranda whimpered at her obstacle but shook her head nonetheless. "Good girl. Don't worry, you'll be removed of your blindfold when I think you're ready."

"But-"

"Shhh." I brought up my moistened finger to her lips and without any orders, she opened her mouth and sucked her own juices. "Wow...such a good girl."

"Can I take them off?" She tried.

I laughed. "Absolutely not." I flared my biotics and lifted a shirt from the floor. I bound Miranda's wrists and tied it around a bar just above the headboard.

"Wh-Chuck this isn't fair!" Miranda complained, trying to get loose but to no avail.

"You deserve it princess. I'm not removing it until you behave like a good girl."

Miranda groaned and pouted. _Hmm, Shepard should take lessons from her. I'll let her know about it at a later time._ I kissed the nape of her neck, groping Miranda's breasts once more. "Behave Miri and you'll have your restrictions removed. I promise." I slid off her panties, leaving a bound Miranda naked. "Should I continue?"

"Please..." Miranda breathed.

"Please..." I paused for her.

"Please _Commander_."

_Eh close enough._ I slid back down and resumed my torturous teasing by sliding two fingers inside her pussy and licking her with no biotics this time. _Might as well save my energy for later._ I curled my fingers upward, finding her sensitive spot. Louder moans and gasps escaped Miranda lips; growing faster and weaker the longer I licked and fucked her.

"Charlie...please...faster!" Miranda pleaded and even though I was in control of the situation, I followed her orders. After all, this was her first of many orgasms in the next few hours. I grinned as her hips began to grind into my hands at a furious pace. I flared my biotics, causing Miranda to yelp out a scream. Soon enough, Miranda hit her climax and belched out a scream. Her body twitched out of control and I slowed my pace until I pulled my fingers out and tasted the juices on my fingers. _Sweet as always my love. _I smiled and kissed her passionately at her job well done. "Can...you please take these off?"

"No." I smiled.

"But-"

"Fine, I'll remove your blindfold but you'll still be bound by your hands. Deal?" I asked. Miranda nodded and I gently turned Miranda's head to the side and untied her blindfold and threw it out of the bed. Miranda's eyes winced before her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Thank you." Miranda smiled with gratitude. "There was something different this time." She said finally.

I shrugged my shoulders. "There was? I didn't notice. Maybe it's just you." I smiled and waited for a minute before I spread her legs and began licking her again.

"Damn it can you wait for a minute?" She moaned as she arched her back as much as the binding allowed her to.

"Nope." I replied quickly and flared my biotics before sliding my middle finger inside her again. I looked up to see Miranda's eyes widened with shock.

"Wh-what are you doing? Wait that was you?" She asked. I nodded and inserted two more fingers into her pussy and flared my biotics even stronger.

"Fuck I'm already close!" Miranda breathed out and I stopped.

"Oh no you don't. You aren't cumming til I say so." I grinned at how successful this was going.

Miranda tried kicking me but she couldn't. "You're an asshole Charlie!" Miranda glared her eyes at me.

_This is going to be an amazing night._

**Three hours later...**

"Okay," I reached up and began untying Miranda from her bindings. Miranda had just finished her fourth orgasm which was her torturous one thus far. _The fact that I've only used my fingers or my mouth is an accomplishment in and of itself but MY GOD can the woman squirm._ "You've behaved so far so I think these can come off."

"Good because they've started to hurt." Once Miranda broke free, she rubbed her wrists. I grabbed one and kissed it on the small red markings on her skin.

"I'm sorry. You should've told me."

"Yeah well you probably wouldn't believe me. I've wanted to get out of them since you took my blindfold off."

"Frustrated that you couldn't use your biotics on me?" I smirked. "I'm surprised you haven't learned about using mass effect fields for sex."

"I...was quite surprised when I saw you use your biotics. The feeling...it...doubled the pleasure I got. It was amazing."

I looked down on the mattress. "I wonder what it would be like with two biotics..." I looked at Miranda who arched her brows at the suggestion.

She leaned forward, centimeters from her lips touching mine. "I'm willing to experiment if you are."

"I thought you'd never ask." I pushed her down on my bed, kissing her in a heated frenzy. The both of us simultaneously flared our biotics and I immediately felt the sharp discharge as our tongues touched. _Wow!_ Miranda's hands reached down and I jumped at the jolt that flowed through my lower regions.

"Did you feel that?" She asked.

I smiled, "I did."

"Think you can last three hours Commander?" She smirked as she stroked my cock.

"I think I can last throughout the whole night." I smirk in return.

"Lay down Chuck." She orders softly. I comply and Miranda bites her lips before crawling to top of me to straddle me.

"Well the view is nice." I look up at her as my hands rest on her hips. Miranda flares her biotics and slides my cock into her. I flare my biotics almost immediately and the both of us gasp at the stimulating sensations of one another.

_Fuck this is awesome._

"Chuck I love you." Miranda moans as she slowly starts grinding onto me, her hands on my shoulders providing support.

"I love you too Miri." I moan in return. The both of us nod to one another and we intensify out biotics, loosing each other into the night.

**Six hours later...**

Miranda and I are spent. We tried to have one last orgasm but our biotics disappeared as quickly as the appeared. Miranda collapsed on top of me and I brought up my hand over her back.

"Eight hours..." I panted, "must be some new record for us no?" I kissed the top of her head. "That was the best night I've ever had."

Miranda mumbled something incoherently that caused me to smile.

"Thank you Miri for this. I won't forget this night ever. I love you."

"I love you too." Miranda said minutes later so she could control her breathing. She looked up at me with a glow on her face. "Ready for round two?"

I laughed and shook my head. "I think it's safe to say that we are worn out. Maybe later Miri. We arrive on Haestrom tomorrow so we need all of our strength back by then."

"What time is it?" She asked, looking around for the clock. "Shit five thirty." Miranda climbed off of me and collapsed again, on her back.

"You hungry?" I asked.

"Starving." She groaned. I smiled and gave her a longing kiss on the lips. "I'll get us something to eat. Stay in bed alright?" Miranda waved me away and I got dressed and walked down to the deserted mess hall. I prepared a large spread for the both of us consisting of: Cereal, french toast, blueberry pancakes, sausage, fried potatoes and scrambled eggs. I got myself a tall glass of orange juice while I made Miri a big mug of decaf coffee. I placed the trays in a cart and wheeled it to the elevator.

Once back inside my cabin, I found Mirada listening to Nielsen's fifth 1st Movement. I smiled as I watched her sitting on the bed with her back on the headboard, with her finger bobbing up and down, from side to side as if she were conducting. Her eyes were closed and had a serene look on her face. I sighed as I watched her for a few minutes. _God I love her so much._

"Nielsen's Fifth." I say loud enough to catch her attention. "It's an amazing piece."

"It's my favorite." Miranda smiles. I smile back and carry two of the four trays with me and set them down in front of my beautiful girlfriend. I pick the remaining two and walk over and sit next to her on the bed.

"Well you certainly have amazing taste in music and his work certainly fits you: Strong and challenging." I kiss her. "I hope you like your breakfast this morning."

Miranda wiped a lock of hair behind her ear and bent down to smell the trays. She closed her eyes briefly and smiled. "It smells lovely. Thank you."

I lean in and give her a slow kiss. "Anything for the woman of my dreams."

"So what now?" Miranda asked once the both of us finished eating.

"I don't know about you but I want to get some sleep." I flare my biotics and lift the trays and set them on the coffee table just a few feet away. I lie down and Miranda follows after me. I wrap my arms around her protectively while she pulls the bed's comforter over our bodies. Miranda snuggles deeply into me, causing me to smile. I brush her shoulder, humming to get her to sleep. Once she does, I just hold her and watch her.

_She looks so happy and content. I...I hope she never get tired of me._

Moments later, I shift carefully and I begin to drift to sleep.

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**Again, thanks to those that have reviewed, favorite, followed and subscribed thus far. You guys are awesome!**

**Next chapter will be Haestrom but I won't start that until I get at least one chapter finished over at Citadel High. For those that are reading that story, I hope to post the next chapter in my Friday. Please forgive me for the delay.**

**Until next time**


	18. Haestrom

**Hello everyone! I'm back after having a nice holiday. Hope you guys enjoyed them as well.**

**Now time to recruit our cute Quarian friend :)**

**More 'Chuck' references to come!**

**See you on the other side**

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Haestrom

**November 19, 2185**

**Haestrom - Kodiak Shuttle - Commander Alonso - 1300 hours**

I stood, holding onto railing on the ceiling as the shuttle rocked smoothly back and forth as I looked out the windshield. I looked back at my squad; Shepard tapped her foot and drummed her fingers on her knees as we began our decent into the planet's atmosphere. Garrus sat next to her, limbering his neck while holding his trusty widow sniper rifle. Amanda sat alone across from them, with a sort of giddy look on her face. Zaeed stood on the back wall, checking his vindicator rifle to see if everything was in order.

Miranda insisted in joining but with the fun the two of us had recently, I told her to stay and do whatever it is a top Cerberus agent does. I also told her to take some time to talk to her sister. It wasn't until that when she conceded but not before giving me a Sentry Interface head piece. She has installed a private video and comms channel so she could hear and see everything I was seeing.

"Image is clear Commander. All I need is to check audio so say something." Miranda voice came through the earpiece.

I clear my throat and say in a hushed tone so my squad couldn't hear me, "Your voice is incredibly sexy in my ear. I should leave you on the Normandy more often."

"Focus, Commander." I could picture Miranda rolling her eyes. I grin, shaking my head before walking towards my squad.

"Alonso," EDI came through the Kodiak's comm, "my scans indicate that Tali'Zorah is somewhere in one of these ruins. Warning: There is considerate amount of Geth in these ruins. There is also an environmental hazard." The kodiak landed safely and I ordered my squad to head out.

I pulled Shepard's borrowed Mattock rifle from my back, knowing that I was most comfortable with the M-96 rifle than others in the Normandy's or Shepard's inventory. On top of that, it was quite accurate and I could control my shots as well as avoiding 'embarrassing myself' as Garrus put it.

"What kind of environmental hazard?" Jane inquired.

"Solar output has overwhelmed Haestrom's protective magnetosphere. Exposure to direct sunlight will damage shields. I suggest you avoid contact with the sun."

"Well that's wonderful." I said grimly. _I had a feeling I should have stayed with Miranda, leaving these slackers do the work. _"Alright we better get going. We have a little quarian to save. I also don't feel like roasting to death."

"I hope Tali is doing alright." Garrus said with worry.

"If anyone can handle the Geth, it's her." I say proudly. "She is our little quarian after all." I smile as we walk down the ramp towards the ruins. We come across our first stop sign as the sun flared the small patch in front of us. Zaeed, Garrus and Amanda backed away, not willing to be the squad's guinea pig. I looked over at Shepard and give her a slight push.

"Wh-what the hell?" She yells as she stops herself from being exposed to the sunlight.

"Go on." I ordered. "You're our guinea pig." A grin spreads of my face as Shepard's pale features turn paler. "Do it for Tali."

Shepard glared her eyes at me but sighed, grumbling something under her breath. She took it like a champ, sprinting another ten feet, cursing as her shields dropped dramatically. "Charlie I'm going to kick your ass when we're out of here!" Shepard cursed, glaring at me and bawling fists at her side.

"Come on," I look at the rest of my team. "Let's go." The rest of us followed over to the other side of the shade.

"Was that necessary Commander?" Garrus and Miranda said in unison.

"Absolutely." I reply with an amused look on my face. Shepard huffs and walks ahead, continuing her noncoherent grumble.

We come across a blocked blast door and a door off to the right. I order my team to stack up and once ready, I punch the latch and we sweep the room. Half of the room is charred from some sort of explosion. On the other side are three Geth platforms disabled on the ground.

"Commander I got something on this terminal." Amanda informed as I was crouched down, touching a large splatter of blood of the ground in front of me. I looked down and frowned, imagining what happened in this room.

"Play it." I stand up and walk towards her.

A male Quarian come on the screen, frantically looking around with his rifle close. "Emergency Log Entry: The Geth are here. I've stayed long to buy them time. Anyone who get's this, find Tali'Zorah! She and the data are all that matters...Kelah se'lai." Geth chirps are heard moments later and a gunfire ensues. A large explosion is followed shortly after. Then silence. _The man took his life to save...what are you doing here?_ I frown as I look back towards the splatter on the ground. _Please tell me this was for something._

"Door is opened." Zaeed punched the holographic interface and the blast door soon opened slowly.

"Alright, let's do this." The team nods at me and we head out.

"Dropship incoming!" Shepard yells as she points at the large ship coming into view.

"Just like old times!" Garrus yells as we take our defensive positions as the dropship hovers over the ground. Geth platforms begin to fall with a crashing thump. They unfold and begin firing. As Garrus and Amanda over load a few shields, the team collectively takes safe shots as plasma fire refuses to cease. I crouch as I look around cover and I tilt my head before having to go back into cover as Geth focus their fire on my head. _Something is different with these Geth**[*]**._ I shrug my shoulders and look out of cover again and shoot Geth trooper between its red flashing light. Amanda took the last kill rushing to a trooper, jumping on his back and jamming her knife on its head over and over again.

I grab her shoulders and pull her away. "Alright, Sturridge. I think it's dead." I pat her on the shoulder and give her a nod. She sighs and nods in return. "Stay focused. Don't get carried away."

"Yes, Commander." Amanda smiles but it soon disappears as more Geth chirps could be heard nearby. Geth Troopers, pyros and shock troopers came out of hiding a few meters away down the ramp. I looked over and saw three advantages we had. We could easily flank them on either side and go down the middle guns blazing.

"Zaeed, take the left flank and snipe them off of the ridge. Jane, Garrus, flank right up on the catwalks. Amanda my dear, you're with me."

"_My dear?"_ Miranda said through my ear piece. I rolled my eyes and switched to my shotgun and didn't respond. My team did as ordered and immediately began shooting to provide Amanda and I some cover as we ran taking potshots. I slammed my back into cover behind a concrete pillar.

"We better hurry this up Charlie. I'm getting burned up here." Jane confessed over the comms.

"Yeah well get behind something you dufus." I roll my eyes.

"Jerk." Jane murmurs before the comms die. I flared my biotics and formed myself a barrier. I ran out of cover, shooting three rounds at a geth hopper. It squealed as it dropped mid flight. I quickly reloaded and jumped out of the way as I saw a Geth Pyro approaching me. From my knees, I lifted the pyro and clipped its fuel tank, causing it to explode. I looked at the corner of my eyes and saw Amanda and Zaeed teaming up to dispose of three rocket troopers while Garrus, Shepard and I teamed up to take down a Geth Juggernaut and a Geth Destroyer.

"Clear!" Garrus announced from upstairs.

"All clear!" Zaeed announced as well.

I reload my shotgun and heavy pistol. "Great job. Let's keep going. I see an entrance of sorts a few meters away." Everyone jumped down and joined me, weapons aimed straight ahead as we walked down the large ramp towards the entrance way. I switched to the Mattock and searched around for any hoppers that may be lurking above. My squad heard some shouting followed by shooting in the distance. We quickened our pace and watched as three Quarians were slaughtered by Geth Troopers. Garrus, Zaeed and I took them out easily and went over to the Quarian bodies.

"Break-break-break. OP-1, this is Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, do you copy? I repeat do you copy?" A voice nearby was heard. I looked around but found nothing. "The Geth sent a dropship towards OP-2. Tali'Zorah secure, but we need back up!"

"It's a radio." Shepard bent over near a dead Quarian soldier and handed me the radio.

"This is Commander Alonso of the Normandy. Are you guys alright?" I asked.

"Patch your radio to Channel 617 Theta." Kal'Reegar instructed. Once I did, he continued. "We were on a stealth mission. High risk. We found what we were after but then the Geth showed up out of nowhere! They've got us pinned down so we can't get to our ships. On top of that, we can't send any outgoing transmissions though the solar radiation."

"How's your team doing? We'll be there soon." I waved my hand over to my squad and we began running towards the Quarian's location.

"We're bunkered down at the base camp across the valley. I left Tali'Zorah at a secure shelter and then I doubled back to hold the chokepoint."

"Yes, I can see you guys." I equip myself with my assault rifle and began shooting at the various Geth that are pushing the line.

"Getting Tali out safely is our top priority. If you can extract her, we'll keep these synthetic bastards back." Kal informed. "Wait!" he exclaimed, "Watch your ass! We've got a dropship coming in!"

On cue, the large Geth Dropship shot towards the checkpoint, causing a large explosion. I created a biotics bubble around my squad to avoid getting hit by any shrapnel. Once the smoke cleared, I heard a large thump in front of us and more Geth sounds behind us in a garage.

_Shit! _"Take cover!" I yelled as I turned and threw a Geth Trooper with my biotics. "Damn it, Miri I wish you were here." I mutter to my girlfriend.

"Yes, well serves you right for not taking me. Now be quiet, I'm talking to my sister."

I grunt as I take shots at a tumbling Shock Trooper.

"Geth Primes!" Garrus yells over the firefight. I sigh, tired by the waves of enemies. _All I need left is a Colossus to drop down and this will be just fantastic._ I look out of cover and see two Primes summoning AI Drones. _Oh come on!_

"Alright, everyone focus on the primes! I'll kill any other flashlights that come close!" I grit my teeth as I pull the trigger of my Mattock to weaken one of the massive Geth's shields. "Garrus, Amanda, overload their shields to help us a bit. We're wasting precious time and thermal clips." The Turian and Cerberus Operative comply, turning their omni-tools and begin hacking the Geth's massive shield conduit. Small sparks appear, gaining a roar and screech from one of the Primes. Thankfully, the shields were almost depleted. Once their shields were down, we had the Prime's armor to deal with. _Shit! _"Amanda, Zaeed, help me out here. Jane, Garrus take care of the other one. We'll be there shortly."

The Geth Prime was approaching me and I was forced to retreat back to avoid being injured or worse. One Prime is pain in the ass. Two is just too much for even us to handle. Amanda and Zaeed switched to Warp ammo and began shooting heavily at the large Geth. In response, it aggressively shot its revenant rifle, causing both of them to retreat as well. I sent a crushing warp towards him to distract it from Zaeed and Amanda. Thankfully it worked and I threw another warp at it. Its armor fell on the ground and that was all the encouragement the three of us needed. I lifted him in the air. I smiled as the Prime roared in frustration, unable to aim at us. "Take it down." I said with a smirk. Right before it was destroyed, it belched out a synthetic scream that sent shivers down my spine that was followed by it self destructing. The large Geth battle tank exploded into a million pieces. The three of us nodded victoriously and ran to Garrus and Shepard who were having a tough time taking out the Prime's shields. The five of us followed the same tactic to take down its buddy and we destroyed the Prime with a little less difficulty.

"Thanks guys." Shepard and Garrus said in unison, both panting from the fight.

I shruged my shoulders. "Someone has to save your ass...again." I winked before walking to the large blockade in front of the door. "So...anyone got ideas to get rid of the large cement block?" I asked over the comm.

"Just like we did on Therum?" Garrus proposed, causing Jane to chuckle.

"I doubt we'll find a mining laser here." Jane playfully punched Garrus on the shoulder.

"There's a couple demo charges in the buildings nearby." Kal'Reegar called over the radio.

_Nice!_ I turned to Shepard and smiled. "It's close enough eh? Maybe we'll find Garrus a girlfriend on the other side...you know since you found Liara back on Therum."

Shepard rolls her eyes and begins searching for the demo charges. The squad spreads out and helps.

"Found one of 'em!" Zaeed yells.

"I got the other." Garrus calls through the comms. We regroup in front of the large concrete barrier.

I look at Sturridge and smile. "Amanda, if you would do the honors."

Amanda's eyes beamed and smiled. "I'd be happy to Charlie."

The rest of us step back to stand clear of the explosion.

"You are awfully nice with Operative Sturridge." Miranda says coldly.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, I am secretly cheating on you with her." I say sarcastically. "Relax sweetheart."

"You can be a pain in my ass sometimes." Miranda scoffs through the earpiece.

"A _pain_? I've never heard you complain." I smirk.

"You're disgusting." Miranda sighs.

"Who are you talking to?" Shepard asks.

"Nobody!" I respond a little too quickly. Shepard looks at me suspiciously and I wave my hand dismissively. "Shush."

"Alright! Charges are set!" Amanda begins to run towards cover next to me. Covering her ears, she yelled, "Fire in the hole!"

Once the charges exploded, I created another biotic bubble around my squad to protect them from the large chucks of concrete that was shooting everywhere. I dissipated the barrier with heavy breathing. "Let's keep going." I reached for a fruit juice from one of my utility belt and drank it in one gulp. I tossed it behind me and equipped the shotgun from my back as we made our way inside the building. We met no resistance inside but there was no friendlies alive either. We walking inside another room and found bodies of Quarian's and Geth scattered throughout the room. A lonely Geth trooper made a slow crawl towards us as soon as he saw us. Zaeed went over and stomped on its head, making it inactive.

A locked door on the opposite side of the room prevented us from continuing. "Search the room. Salvage whatever you can find. Amanda, take a look at that safe over there."

"Of course Commander." Amanda nodded and walked towards it as I made my way towards a computer terminal. I typed on the holographic keyboard and search through some files. I found one vid file and I opened it. Tali appeared on screen and I couldn't help in smile.

"Our ancestors walked these halls with uncovered heads...The sun must have been normal back then. So much space! Walls of stone... It's amazing." Tali sighed sadly and looked down. "I wish my friends could see it. I wish Shepard and Charlie were here."

"You think she's alright?" Garrus asked softly as he watched Tali's saddened body language. I patted Garrus' shoulder and smiled.

"Tali has always known how to take care of herself." I chuckled, reminiscing in old times. "I remember her throwing a proximity mine when we first met her. Though I'm sure you remember."

Garrus chuckled as well, seeming in higher spirits. "I do. We must-"

"Tali'Zorah to base camp. Come in, base camp. I repeat: Tali'Zorah to base camp...Keelah. H-hello? Is anyone there?" A small image of Tali appeared by the locked door, twiddling her fingers nervously.

I looked to Shepard, who was closer. She nodded and headed over the console.

"Tali, it's Shepard...I'm sorry but everyone is dead. Any survivors must have retreated back." Shepard said as I continued to look around the room for anything useful.

"We knew this mission was high risk. Damn it." Tali breathed, placing a hand on her helmet in exasperation." I sighed, finding a nothing other than a sums of credits that Amanda handed me. I slowly made my way towards Shepard and Tali's avatar. "And what are you doing here, Shepard? We're in the middle of Geth space!"

I wrapped my arm around Shepard's shoulders and smiled towards Tali. "Hi Tali sweetheart. We were in the neighborhood. I thought we could lend a hand."

Tali fidgeted with her fingers once more. If it wasn't for the mask, I'd suspect she was blushing.

"You _really_ need to stop flirting with _every_ bloody woman you talk or meet with _Commander_!" Miranda said with gritted teeth. I grinned a grin.

"I-Thank you for coming. It means a lot to hear from the both of you. Kal'Reegar and what's left of his marines got me into an observatory. From where you are, it's through the door and across the field..."

**A few minutes later...**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - XO's quarters - Operative Miranda Lawson**

"You idiot!" I gritted through the mouthpiece. _Why is he always charging at everything, especially a Geth Prime. _"Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?"

"I was trying to impress you." He replied back with a laugh. I rolled my eyes and slapped my hand on my forehead. _You ass._

"Think with your brain Commander. We can't afford to lose you. You are very important to the mission."

"Whatever you say princess." Charlie chuckled once more.

"Chuck!" I said incredulously.

"Sorry, I'll be more careful."

"No, what the hell was that?" I ask with worry. "Pan right."

"Whatever you say my lady." He attempts a terrible English accent which I simply ignore as I look closely at the vid feed.

My eyes widened as there as a cloak fizzling and a small light suspended in the air. "Geth Hunter right in front of you!"

"A Geth Wh-AHHHH!"

"Charlie!" I panic as I see Charlie's feed fall, as a result from his body falling. The Geth Hunter uncloaks as a result of shots hitting its plate. The platform falls shortly after and Shepard comes into view.

"Shit! Charlie, are you alright?" She asks. _Please say yes..._

Chuck groans in pain. "Of course not! I just got shot by a fucking sneaker! FUCK!"

"Luckily it's just moderate plasma burns." Operative Sturridge says out of view. "He'll be okay for now but we have to finish quickly to avoid the burns from getting worse. He took a good hit."

"I'm glad you find this so amusing." Charlie yelps in pain as Shepard administers medi-gel.

"Cry-baby-"

"-Jerk!" Shepard and Charlie say in unison.

"Children." I add with a sigh of relief but soon that feeling is gone. _I should have been there. It was stupid of me to agree to stay here. _But I couldn't do anything about it now. We don't have two shuttles at the moment. _Something I should fix as soon as possible._ I sigh. "Are you okay Chuck?"

"Peachy. Thanks for the late heads up Miri. I _really _fucking appreciate it." He responds angrily.

"Don't blame me for this! It's your fault for not being careful of your surroundings. Not to mention that you left me here! I could have helped you damn it!" I respond with equal anger. _Ungrateful bastard!_

"Yeah you are a _savior_, you 'oh so perf-'" I turned everything off in frustration.

"Well go ahead and get yourself killed then." I push myself off the chair and stomp angrily towards the mess hall to grab myself a cup of coffee.

"Miss Lawson?"

"What!" I yell, turning to find Kelly jumping, fumbling to trying to catch the datapads that slipped from her grasps. "Sorry." I say with a sigh as I take a sip from my coffee.

"No! N-no no no it's quite alright!" Kelly shuffled as she picked up two stray datapads on the ground. "I have the reports here for this week's meetings. Everyone seems in very high spirits after our extended shoreleave. There's a few things that has surfaced from everyone except Miss Goto. I'll let Commander Alonso know when it becomes appropriate."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Personal problems. Or so they say..." Kelly shrugs her shoulder. "They didn't want to share with me."

_More delays._ I sigh and extend my free hand to take the datapads. Kelly hands them over and smiles. "Thank you Miss Chambers." I move back to my room, place the pads next to my terminals and sit back on my chair. I reach for one of the pads but my omni-tool beeps. I swipe through it and read a new message:

_I love getting you angry ;)_

I close my omni-tool in frustration and I cross my arms and just sit there staring at my blank terminal screen. Five minutes go by and I am finding myself turning on my terminal to resume watching Charlie's feed. My eyes widened to what I see.

"Is that..."

**Haestrom - Commander Alonso - 1415 hours**

_Frak! Me and my big mouth. _"GET DOWN!" I yell as the squad dives to the ground to avoid a large plasma ball heading towards us. After the dust settles, I pop my head up to look out the shutter windows and see the Geth Colossus huddling itself into a cocoon.

"Over here!" A Quarian marine's voice calls me over. I look down the catwalk over the window and find a Quarian crouching with a rocket launcher in his hands.

"Come on!" I order my guys and we headed over to him

"Definitely like old times." Garrus muses as he stands behind the wall.

"Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, Migrant Fleet Marines! Still got no idea why you're here! But honestly, it isn't the time to be picky." A medium blast from a rocket trooper shakes the small catwalk we are crouching on. Reegar nods over towards the Colossus' direction and reports, "Tali's on the other side. The Geth killed the rest of my squad and they're trying to get to her. Best I've been able to do is draw their attention."

"Are you sure she's still alive?" Jane yells over the plasma fire and explosions.

Kal'Reegar nods. "The observatory is reinforced. Even these buckets of bolts will need time to get through it. Heh! But it's hard to hack a door when you've got someone firing at ya. The Geth are near platoon strength, but the colossus is the worst part. It's got a repair protocol. It huddles and fixes itself." The quarian marine grunts in frustration. "I can't get a shot while it's down like that! I tried to move in closer but one of the bastards shot me. Punctured a hole in my suit."

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"Combat seals clamped down to isolate the contamination and I'm swimming in antibiotics. The bastards my get me but I'm not dying from an infection in the middle of battle." Reegar huffs a grunt. "That's just insulting."

"Any ideas on how we take down the Colossus?" I ask.

"Standard protocol with armature-class units is to sabotage the shields are to whittle it down, you know? Kill it with bug bites." I nod at Quarian logic. _Makes perfect sense. _Kal'Reegar points towards the Colossus that had just popped out and began scanning for us. "But the repair protocol blows that plan to hell. You try to wear it down but it just huddles up and fixes itself! So...whatever we do has to scrap that bastard fast!"

"Great." Garrus mutters with a tired sigh.

I look up at him with an arched brow. "Come on Vakarian, I thought you'd be ecstatic. Just picture Tali waiting on the other side in a cage, yelling out your name: 'Oh Garrus! Please save me!'. Then you come in guns blazing your trusty steed and you rip the Colossus to shreds. You save Tali and live happily ever after."

Garrus begins to drift off and smiles dreamily. I roll my eyes and share a laugh with Shepard before turning my attention once again to Reegar. "We need to get to Tali. Got any ideas?"

"Just one!" Reegar replies with a nod towards the launcher in his hands. "I'm not moving so well, but I can still pull the trigger! I've got a rocket launcher that the sun hasn't fried yet." He patted his launcher proudly and chuckled. "You move in close! I'll keep the Colossus busy, maybe drops its shields. With luck, you'll be able to finish it off!"

I shook my head. _With the infection and how long these guys have been fighting, I've got a feeling he won't last this fight. _"You've done enough marine! You don't need to throw your life away."

Reegar shook his head in protest. "Wasn't asking for your permission. My job is to keep Tali safe. This is our best shot." The Quarian stood and took aim at the giant Colossus that was looking at our direction.

_Shit._ I pushed Reeger back, knocking the launcher from his grasp. "We don't have enough people on our side to take on for the team Reegar! Stand down!"

Reegar shoved me back in return. "I'm not going to stand by and watch you run into enemy fire! The Geth killed my squad!"

"And if you want to honor them," I begin immediately, "then you watch my back! I need you here in case they bring reinforcements!" The both of us stared down at one another for about ten seconds. _Breath Reegar breathe! _Reegar began growling at me. _Or growl! Growling also works._

With one, final grunt, Reegar nodded. "Fine Commander. We'll do it your way. Hit them for me. Keelah se'lai!"

I looked back at my team and began giving my orders. Shepard and Zaeed moved to the far right with snipers in hand. There job was to snipe Geth ground troops from the sniper perch while Garrus, Amanda and I moved on the left flank. From the looks of it, it provides more cover from the Colossus' fire. From afar, there were twelve troopers, ten pyros, eight rocket troopers, five hoppers, three juggernauts, three destroyers and one prime. _And an unknown amount of hunters, _I sighed to myself. "Alright, let's do this quick and clean. Watch out for Geth Hunters."

"Speak for yourself." Shepard muttered through the comm before a sniper shot could be heard, followed by a Geth Pyro exploding near us. Three troopers fell from close proximity while two destroyers and a juggernaut's shields disappeared.

Garrus, Amanda and I took full advantage and sprung out, shooting at the towering platforms. The four platforms fell one after the other, falling with a satisfying metallic thump. A couple of stray shots hit the cloak of a Geth Hunter. I gave my undivided attention at the cloaked bastard while the other two began taking down the final destroyer and two rocket troopers.

I threw a heavy stasis bubble that managed to pull not only the Hunter but its three hopper buddies that were mid-flight. I smirked as I ran towards them with my Scimitar shotgun. I blew a hole into the Hunter's chestplate before flaring my biotics and warping the hoppers above. The three exploded and I laughed. My victorious laughter lasted shortly as I felt a heavy thump. I slowly turned and witnessed the Colossus staring down at me.

"Chuck me..." I gulped, unable to move.

"Chuck!" Miranda's voice seemed distant in my ear.

"Charlie move!" Amanda yelled.

I shook my head and ran forward towards Shepard's position. Flaring my biotics to form a barrier. The Colossus' head followed my movement and began to fire. I jumped over the large bolt but the explosion caused me to fly towards a Geth Prime.

"Give me a fucking break!" I crawled up into a sprint and headed back the way I came, avoiding the platform's Revenant shots and the combat drone that was following me. I threw a warp towards the Colossus that was shootings it's pulse cannon towards Shepard and Zaeed. _Wait!_ I stopped and turned left, jumping on top of the Geth tank. I punched the back of its neck with the help of my biotics.

"What are you doing?" Shepard and Miranda asked in unison.

"Get out of my head." I grunted as I began hacking the tank.

"No seriously Charlie," I looked over at Shepard's head popping out over the railing. "What. Are you doing?"

"Hacking the Colossus."

"Why?"

I didn't respond as I began rerouting its friend/foe computing while my squad kept the enemy busy. "I want to... damn it why can't my program go any faster!" Seconds later, the Colossus turned and began shooting at the Prime and the remaining platforms. I grinned and turned to Shepard, whose mouth dropped. "That's why."

I sat on top of my new 'steed', watching it obliterate the Geth Prime as it stood there lost in knowing what to do. I slid off of it and brushed myself off while my squad regrouped around the Colossus.

"That..." Garrus stared dumbfounded at me. "WAS AWESOME!"

"More like reckless and stupid." Miranda scoffed in my ear. I sighed internally but grinned.

"Yeah...uhh good work." Shepard rubbed the back of her neck as she, along with Zaeed joined us. She looked up at the towering Colossus, who simply looked down and stared at Jane. Jane laughed nervously before shyly stepping away from him. "I'll...just stand...over there. Yeah..." Jane cleared her throat and walked towards the locked door that led to Tali.

Shepard looked back at the Colossus who continued to stare at her. She quickly tapped on the red steel door. "Tali? Can... heh! Nice Colossus. Tali can you open up please? Like now?"

"Just a second." Tali replied calmly, as if not knowing what was happening outside. "I locked the door to keep more Geth from getting inside." There was a minute of silence before the red button on the door turned green. Shepard punched the controls and quickly ran inside before Tali spoke again. "There that should do it."

I looked back up at the Colossus and grinned. "Good boy." The Colossus roared and it huddled itself into a ball.

"Can we keep him?" Amanda asked.

"Don't you DARE take him!" Miranda seethed.

I laughed and signaled my squad to follow me. "I don't think Operative Lawson would approve."

"Yeah...I could picture what she would say." Garrus laughed.

"Looks like you won't be the _only_ one who I will be talking to once you get back here." Miranda huffed.

I grinned, turning my head to face Garrus, "Would it be a bad time to tell you that Miranda has been watching **and** listening the entire mission?" I tapped my headpiece twice, grinning as Garrus' skin turn pale.

"Spirits shoot me now." Garrus swallowed.

"As amusing as it was to see that Commander, that was undeniably cruel." Miranda spoke softly.

"Ah don't worry. He'll get over it." I smiled once I see Tali fumbling around a terminal. I looked around and saw dead Geth platforms and data servers throughout the small square room.

"Hello everyone! Just let me finish this download." Tali spoke softly. "Thank you. If not for either of you, I doubt I would have ever left this room." Tali hung her head and pushed herself off, swinging around to face us. "This whole mission is a disaster. I wish I'd join you back in Freedom's Progress Charlie...but I couldn't let anyone take my place on something this risky."

I nod in understanding. "A lot of people died. Was it worth it?"

Tali hung her head once more. "I...don't know. It wasn't my call. The Admiralty Board believed that the information here was worth all the sacrifices. I have to believe that they know what's best."

"But what do you think?" Garrus asked.

Tali began pacing, fidgeting with her fingers. "A lot of people died here. Some of them were my friends. All of them were good at their jobs. That damn data better be worth it. The price was just too high."

"Why are you here in Geth space anyways? Why is this research so important?" I asked, still confused.

"Haestrom's sun is destabilizing. Back when this was a quarian colony, it was a normal star. It shouldn't change so quickly. If I had to guess, I'd say dark energy was affecting the interior of the star. The effect is similar to when stars blow off mass to enter a red giant phase. But Haestrom's sun is far too young for this to be natural."

_Could it be...No. For now it wouldn't make sense. _"Well I'm glad we were here to help. Once you deliver the data, we could use you on the Normandy."

Tali nods. "I promised to see this mission through and I did. I can leave with you and send the data to the fleet. And if the admirals have a problem with it then they can go to hell! I just watched the rest of my team die."

As if on cue Kal'Reegar walked gingerly as he grabbed his ribs. "Well...maybe not the whole rest of your team, ma'am."

"Reegar!" She ran over to him and gave him a hug. "You made it!" Reegar awkwardly returned the hug and took a step back.

"You old friends are as good as you've said. The Geth bastards never stood a chance."

I nod, gesturing with gratitude. "We can take you back to the Flotilla if you need one Reegar."

Reegar waved his hand dismissively. "The Geth didn't damage our ship so as long as we leave before any reinforcements come back, we'll be fine."

"Actually Kal, I won't be coming with you. I'm going with the Commander."

Reegar looked at me then back at Tali. "I'll pass the data to the Admiralty Board then. I'll let them know what happened." He looked back at me and nodded. "She's all yours Alonso. Keep her safe."

I nodded. "Take care soldier." I look back at my team and smile. "Let's get out of here." While settling ourselves inside the shuttle, I talked to Miranda. "Lawson, once we come aboard, make sure Tali get's full access to the ship."

"Yes, please do." Tali began. "I can't be a part of the ship if I don't know how the ship works. I assumed you were undercover Charlie. Maybe even planning to blow Cerberus up! If that's the case, I'll loan you a grenade. Otherwise I don't want any of their officers near me."

_Well this will be great. _I sigh. "I understand. I'll see if I can get Miranda to instruct-"

"Wait, did you just say Miranda?" Tali asked with a shocked expression.

"Yes?"

"Miranda...THE Miranda. The one you went out with?" Tali raised her voice incredulously.

"Y-yes?" I reply.

"Are you...are you with her again?" She asked softly.

"Why does it-" I began but was interrupted by Shepard.

"-He is." Shepard said with a glare as she crossed one leg over the other.

"Well, then. It's the only thing I wanted to know." Tali huffed and sat next to Garrus. I looked at Shepard with a glare. "Thanks." I turn to the pilot with a huff. "Let's go."

**Two hours later...**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Engineering - Commander Alonso**

"Tali?" I try as I slowly inch closer.

"What." She responds, avoiding to look at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"What's wrong?" Tali laughs. "What's wrong is that you and Miranda are together again. Last time I saw you, you looked like you hated her. Now you're with her again? I thought you might have learned your lesson the first time."

"Look I'm sorry but I don't see why you're so angry at me."

Tali turns furiously and crosses her arms over her chest. "Because you're my friend and because I _care_ about you. What if she hurts you again?"

"I appreciate you looking out for me Tali." I approach her and give her a hug. "Really, I do but I can take care of myself. Don't worry, if she does, I'll make her regret it. I promise."

"Okay...but I'll be watching her Charlie. I don't like her."

"If you feel it helps you, do it but trust me Tali, she won't hurt me again." I smile at her. "Now I'm gonna go to bed. I'm tired and need some sleep. Get settled in okay?"

Tali nods and tilts her head down. "Okay. I'll see you around."

I purse my lips and hug her once more. "It's good to have you here Tali."

"It's good to be here."

I nod and smile before leaving the engine room and into the elevator. I press the button and head towards my cabin. The elevator ascends upward but stops in Deck 3. The door opens and I see Miranda standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring her steel-blue eyes at me.

"You've been avoiding me for the past two hours Commander. Care to tell me why?"

"So I don't get a lecture from you and Chakwas?" I take careful steps to the back of the elevator. The door is about to close when Miranda sways slowly into the elevator. "Miranda...please...not now. My ribs hurt." I lied. _They fucking burn._

"Hmm." Miranda trails her fingers down my ribs, causing me to wince in pain. "Into the med bay. NOW!"

"Y-yes ma'am!"

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Shepard - 1700 hours**

"It's just a minor bruise Commander, nothing more." Chakwas smiled as she finished assessing my injury on stomach. "You are free to go."

Just then, Charlie walked in with Miranda right behind him. "Doctor, I think you should check on him." Miranda pulled on Charlie's ear as she directed him on the cot next to me.

A grin spread across my lips. "I think I'll stay actually."

"So," Chakwas brought her rolling chair in front of Charlie, "What seems to be wrong."

"I...I have a burning sensation on my ribs." Charlie winched and removed his shirt, pointing at the large burn on his right ribs. "Here." I gasped at the large blister on his ribs. _Charlie..._

"Oh my..." Chakwas gasped before setting bring up her omni-tool to scan. "Those are second degree burns Commander. You should have come in sooner."

Charlie sighed and looked down. "When can I return to action?"

"Well it's a little too early to tell. You'll be sleeping here tonight I'm afraid. Lie down and I'll start right away." Chakwas went to the side and pulled up the skin reconstruction device over Charlie's abdomen. "Hopefully, you'll be ready in no time."

"Fantastic." Charlie sighed as he shifted to get comfortable.

"We should probably go." Miranda placed a hand on my shoulder before leaving. I stayed there a few seconds before I walked out of the medbay and into the XO's quarters.

"Can we talk?" I asked as I stood outside her office.

Miranda smiled and welcomed me in. "Of course. Have a seat." I walked inside and sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. We looked at one another awkwardly for a minute or two. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"No. Well yes...I'm not sure." I wrapped my hair around my finger and pulled it in frustration. "I was supposed to do this two weeks ago but now that we're alone, I think it's a right time as any."

"I'm all ears Shepard." Miranda smiled.

"I would like to apologize for my...aggressive behavior. I shouldn't have slapped you and I shouldn't have said those horrible things to you. I am deeply sorry."

"That isn't necessary Shep-"

"No, it is." I interrupted. "It's just that I care about him a lot and I don't want to see him get hurt."

Miranda smiled and nodded. "I understand. I care about him a lot too. I won't hurt him again Shepard. I promise. I've...never realized just how much he can change people."

I chuckled softly. "He brings the best out of everyone including me, even if he can be a renegade sometimes." I agreed.

"I'm sure he means well." Miranda nodded.

"Are we..." I trailed my voice, hoping that the XO understood.

"Are we good?" Miranda nodded. "I don't see why not."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." I drummed my fingers on her desk and bit my bottom lip. "I'll let you get back to work. Thanks for your time."

"My pleasure Commander."

I stood and began walking out but aburptly stopped. I turned my head with a grin spreading on my lips. "You know he scared me a few time down there. I hope you'll be giving him a lecture to not do that?"

Miranda looked up from her terminal and grinned as well. "You can count on it."

_Heh, I like you Lawson. _"Good, carry on."

* * *

**Teaming up on the Commander is very wrong :(**

***Now I'm not entirely sure about this but because we've been fighting The Heritics, I assume that their lights on their heads are red instead of white (like Legion's). I might be wrong so if anybody knows for sure, please let me know.**

**This whole Haestrom mission is one of those missions in the game that isn't really further explained in ME2 and ME3. I am wondering if the Reapers are the reason why the sun is destabilizing. The real reason? We'll probably never know but I may include my own answer in the sequels that follow...If I even get a logical conclusion/explanation :/**

**Anyways please review what you guys though of this chapter and feel free to follow/subscribe/favorite.**

**Until next time!**


	19. Into the Belly of the Beast

**Happy New Years everyone!**

**Hope everyone enjoyed your friends and loved ones.**

**I go back to school in an hour -bleh!- and I wanted to get this chapter in.**

**To SpartanC156: Ah yes, my apologies, I'll fix that as soon as I can. I got my widows mixed up**

**To Juggalo Prince: Thank you very much. Those chapters are fixed and moved those sentences around as much as I could without messing up the flow of those chapters.**

**To Vemilyus: Thanks for the recommendation. I've started reading and I'm liking it so far (haven't gotten to my particular problem yet but I'll keep reading)**

**A new pairing is discovered and a very frustrated Shepard appears :p**

* * *

Into the Belly of the Beast...

**November 22, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Alonso - 0400 hours**

I wake up bored and with a slight ache. These cots aren't considered top-of-the-line in the comfort department and it is telling as I try to sit up. I groan as I grab my lower back. I look down at my naked chest and inspect my injuries. Thankfully, the burns are completely healed though there is a new, four inch horizontal scar on my ribs. Also, my lazarus scars have also disappeared. _Chakwas was certainly busy while I was asleep. _I hop off of the cot and put on a neatly folded Cerberus shirt and make my way out. The ship's cycle tells me it's still night time so I quietly make my way towards the kitchen. I grab myself a bowl and fill it with oatmeal and milk. Once it's steaming hot, I sit on the nearest table and eat quietly. I sit and think once I'm finished, hopeful that there wasn't anything important that I missed out on. Kelly came to visit in the early evening yesterday to tell me that Grunt, Zaeed, and Jack wanted to see me. _I wonder what they want. _I sigh, knowing that I will probably have to help them someway. I get up and head over to kitchen sink and wash my bowl and spoon.

I head towards the XO's quarters, only to find Miranda passed out on her chair. I frown and walk to her and stare down at her. Her hands lied on top of her desk and her silky hair covered half of her face. I gently pick her up; the motion causes her to stir but stays asleep, moaning and wrapping her arms around my neck as I carry her to her bed. I flare my biotics and move the blankets to the side. I lay my love down on the bed, she retreats her hands from my neck and instinctively wraps her hands around her pillow. I smile and cover her with the blanket, kneeling down and watch her sleep for a moment.

"Sleep well sweetheart." I lean over and kiss her ever-so-gently on her forehead before making my way out. I stop at the door to take one last look. The bundle under the sheets shifted and I could see her face facing the other way.

I make my way up to the CIC and to the bridge to talk to Joker who seemed to be awake. "Hey Commander."

"Morning." I smile as I stop to stand beside him. I look of the portside window but from the looks of it, we are traveling in FTL. "So, where are we heading?"

"We are just coming up on Omega." Joker replied as he began swiping the controls. Seconds later, we come out of the mass relay and Joker begins to fly towards the space station. "Shepard wants to do some equipment shopping here." The Normandy's pilot shrugs his shoulder.

"Fair enough. I assume everything is going well up here?"

Joker groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It _was!_ Until the thing started questioning my every move! It won't let anything slide!"

EDI's globe avatar popped up and looked at Joker. "You were deliberately falsifying maintenance reports, Mister Moreau."

"Not falsifying, _tweaking_." Joker corrected, "I always round up on task times. It makes us look good when we're coming under." Joker grinned after he looked up at me.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Harmless self-promotion, EDI. You can ease up on that."

"Very well Commander." EDI's avatar disappeared.

"Yeah go pout. I win." Joker's grin grew wider.

I mocked-glared at my pilot. "Joker..."

Joker held up his hands defensively but continued smiling. "Right-right! No hard feelings, good game."

I rolled my eyes and walked back to the CIC. "Catch you later Joker."

"See ya Commander."

I head up to my cabin to grab my gym bag before heading back down to Deck 3 and towards the gym. I walk towards one of the various treadmills and begin on a steady jog for five minutes before I gradually pick up the speed for the next hour, developing into a sprint. The 'day' lights began turning on by the time I grabbed a few weights to place on the barbell. I lied down on the bench and began my first set.

"Morning Charlie." Amanda said cheerfully.

After two repetitions, I replied with a huff. "Morning, sleep well?"

I heard the treadmill turning on. "You could say that." There was a slight dreamy sigh before I heard Amanda clear her throat.

_Huh?_ I placed the barbell on its resting place and sat up and looked at Amanda. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Amanda blushed.

I walked to her station and crossed my arms on the arm rest of the machine. "Why are you blushing Sturridge?"

"I'm not blushing!" Amanda bit her lip as she bounced up and down. I arched my brow as I watched her.

"Who is it?" I asked with mirth in my voice.

"I don't know who you're talking about Commander." Amanda cleared her throat and she touched the accelerator button.

"Uh-huh." I smirked. "I'll go ask Kasumi then. I'm sure she knows!" I smirked, went over to reach my bags and start heading out the door.

"Wait!"

I stopped and grinned. I turned and lifted my chin as I watched her sit on a bench. She sighed and grumbled something. "Who is it?"

"*Grumble* -ers"

"What?" I asked again, as I sat next to her.

"Kelly Chambers." Amanda groaned. I stared dumbfounded. _Really? Amanda and Kelly are...together?_ "Don't give me that look!" The young brunette engineer glared at me.

"S-sorry. I...I didn't know that you...liked women." I chuckled.

"I didn't either..." Amanda sighed.

"Were you..." _How do I put this, _"drunk?" Amanda shook her head back and forth. "Huh..."

"Huh? That's all I get?" Amanda clenched her hands at her sides.

I rolled my eyes at her and gently grabbed her wrists. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm happy for you. You should have told me. I would've been easier to get Kelly off of Shepard's back."

"Yeah, she's a little too friendly?"

"Aggressive is more like it." I mutter. "I like her but she's trying too hard to get Shepard's and my attention." I smile and hug the young engineer. "I'm glad you told me at least. I'll keep it a secret if you want." Amanda nodded. "Alright. Your secret is safe with me. Just watch out for Kasumi or Tali." I winked. I patted my friend on her thighs before getting up to resume my barbell workout while Amanda went back to the treadmill. About fifty sets later, I walked over to my bag to tape my hands. I went over to the punching bag and began jabbing on the heavy bag.

"So how are things with Miranda?" Amanda raised her voice so I could hear her as she jumped the jump rope.

"Things are good." I replied as I dodged to the right to avoid the bag's counter.

"Come on Charlie! I want details!" Amanda giggled.

"There's nothing really to tell." I lied. I did to quick left-handed jabs before I gave a heavy hook with my right. "Miranda and I are in a stable relationship."

"Would you marry her?" She asked.

I stopped and froze my movements. I stumbled back once the bag hit me. _I never really thought about it. I doubt I'll live long enough to see that becoming a reality. _"I'd like that but I don't see Miranda settling down anytime soon." _God, the things I would do if I could make that happen. _"Only time will tell."

"We talk about you, you know?" Amanda stopped and walked over to me.

"Oh? About how much she wants to kill me?" I smirked, gaining an exasperated sigh from operative.

"Yes and a lot more. She froze just like you did when I asked her the same question."

"What did she say?" I asked. I was anxious; there was a tingling sensation flowing through my body.

"Essentially what you said. But, she doesn't picture settling with anyone else other than you. She loves you very much."

"I know and so do I." I smile. "I would do anything for her." I turn to face her and pull her into a hug. "I should go. See you later Sturridge."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Shepard's Quarters - Commander Shepard - 0600 hours**

_Liara straddled me, running her fingers over my stomach with one hand while her other hand pushed and massaged my right breast. I moaned at her touch. Even though she said that she hasn't had sex with anyone over the last two years, something changed. She was more eager and experience in almost every way; the way she touched me with her delicate fingers, lips and even her tongue. Even her soft moans seemed to turn me on even more. She leaned down and pressed her lips into mine. I moaned into her mouth as she slid her tongue inside my mouth. I hands wandered everywhere from her crest down to the small of her back. My hands firmly squeezed her bubble butt before slapping her cheeks hard. Liara gasped, causing me to bite her lower lip in response._

_"Does the good doctor like that?" I asked seductively. Liara simply nods. I smack her beautiful blue ass once more, harder this time and my lover yelps. I flip us over so now it's Liara that's below me. I spread her legs ever so slightly and I can see how wet she is. I position our legs between one another and we both moan as our folds touch each other's skin. With my hands on her shoulders for support, we begin to slowly grind on one another. I close my eyes and arch my back from the euphoria._

_"Goddess...Shepard!" Liara moans softly after we share a deep kiss. "I'm yours."_

_"And I am yours babe." I let go of her shoulders and begin biting and kissing up and down her neck we the both of us develop a pleasurable rhythm. "I love you!"_

_"Y-yes! Goddess I'm so close! Please let me in!" Liara clawed her nails into my ass and I nodded because, one, her nails are burning into me and two, I'm close as well. "Embrace Eternity!"_

I gasped as I sat up from my bed and looked around. _I'm alone._ "No, no damn it! WHY!" I threw a fit, punching my bed at the really bad timing and the sexual frustration. I lifted my blanket and found myself soaking wet. I sighed and frowned. _I wish you were here love. _I flopped back down, resting one hand inside my boy shorts. _I really, REALLY wish you were here._ I bit my lower lip as I began teasing myself. I closed my eyes as I slid two fingers in my wet folds. _God, yes..._

"Commander Shepard."

_Fucking AI bitch! _"What do you want?" I punched my headboard in anger.

"I have an incoming transmission from Liara T'Soni. I'm patching it through your terminal."

"Thank you." I sighed while getting up before accepting the call. "Hi love."

"Hello Shepard. You look terrible." Liara frowned.

"I umm." I brought a fist closed to my mouth and cleared my throat. "I've had...a bad night." I blushed and looked down.

I heard Liara gasp. "Shepard...were you-"

"Liara?"

"Yes?"

"Quiet!"

"Goddess!" Liara giggled. "You've been missing me haven't you?"

"Terribly." I muttered. I looked up at her and forced myself to smile. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I've come up that information that might interest you and Garrus."

My eyes furrowed at her. "Hmm? What sort of information."

Liara smiled. "One of my contacts on the Citadel passed me information on a turian named Sedonis. He had landed yesterday at the station and has contact a man named 'Fade'. Sedonis wants to disappear and he thinks Fade is the man for the job."

"Liara this is...thank you! Please update me frequently. I'll let Garrus and Charlie know as soon as possible."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 0900 hours**

"Well, I think that's all for today Commander." Kelly is sitting on the chair across from me, typing on her datapad. "You seem happy and are in good spirits."

"So are you." I grin as I see Kelly freeze. "Amanda told me that you two are together?"

"We...are?" Kelly blushed deeply and sank in her chair. "I...Well she's so pretty and we just kept talking almost every day."

"It's alright Kelly." I laughed. "You two make a cute couple."

"T-thank you!" Kelly smiled.

I winked at my Yeoman. "You're dismissed Kelly."

"Commander." EDI's avatar and voice came up in front of my aquarium. "The Illusive Man wishes to speak with you in the Briefing Room."

Without another word, Kelly and I walked to the elevator together to the CIC. We departed. She headed towards her terminal while I walked towards the Briefing Room. Seconds later, I was in TIM's chamber. "Ah Timmy, it's been awhile. What do you want?"

This time, TIM stood looking out at the massive sun with his arms behind his back. "Alonso - we caught a break. I intercepted a distress call from a turian patrol. They stumbled on a Collector ship beyond the Korlus system. The turians were wiped out but not before disabling the ship. I need you to board the vessel and get some hard data on the Collectors. Find us a way to get us to the Collector homeworld."

_A turian partrol?_ "Hard to imagine how the turians can disable a ship like that." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Reports indicate that the hull's intact but the systems seem to be offline." The Illusive Man responded easily. "They could be making repairs as we speak. It'll be dangerous yes, but we can't waste this opportunity."

"How do we know that this isn't some sort of trap? Is this information good?" I asked.

"Information is my weapon Commander. The information is solid."

"Fine," I breathe out through my nose, "send the coordinates to Joker. We'll take care of it."

"Once you board the ship, establish a link with EDI. It'll mine their data for information on the Omega 4 Relay. Good luck Commander." TIM concludes our little briefing and Joker's voice fills the room

"Messages sent to Garrus and Shepard, We'll leave once they're on board."

**Two hours later...**

I stood beside Joker on the bridge. I looked out the front window and there it was. A large, disabled Collector ship. Quite frankly, it's giving me the creeps. "EDI, what do you got?"

"Scanning." A second later, EDI continues. "Very low emissions. Passive infrared temperatures suggest most systems are offline. Thrusters are cold. There are three entrances we could exploit."

"That thing is massive!" Joker adds as he looks at the ship through his holographic view screen. "How did the turians take it out?"

_That is the million dollar question..._

"Alright, I want everyone reporting to the shuttle. NOW!"

A few moments later, everyone is stuffed into the Kodiak shuttle. It's a tight squeeze with Grunt taking much of the room. "Alright, EDI says theirs three openings in the ship's hull. EDI, do they lead to the same place?"

"Yes." EDI simply answers.

"Good, things are getting better and better. I want three teams. Team one will be comprised of Garrus, Mordin, Thane and Grunt. Garrus will be Team Leader. Team two: Shepard, Amanda, and Tali and Zaeed. Shepard, you're leader. Team three will be Jack, Miranda and Samara and I."

"Great, we're fucking Charlie's angels." Jack snorts beside Grunt.

"That's right Jack and you're the ugly one." I grin. The humans laugh except Jack, who angrily flips me off. "Team One will be dropped first, then Team Two then my team. Find any information you can get your hands on. But first we need to find anything that helps us get into the Omega 4 Relay. Everyone understand?" My team nods. "Good. Helmets everyone!" I put on my 'Death Mask' helmet while everyone secures themselves to their helmets. Jack, Samara and Miranda put on masks that remind me of the ones Liara wore when we fought the Sovereign on the Citadel years ago.

After Teams One and Two are dropped off, my team touches down on the massive Collector ship. "Team One, Team Two do you read me?"

"Loud and Clear." Garrus and Shepard reply in unison.

"Copy that." I reply. "Let's go angels." I smirk as I look back at Jack.

"Fuck you."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Miranda says beside me. "Be careful what you touch."

"I agree." Shepard adds, "It's quiet."

"Too quiet." Garrus says grimly.

"Stay sharp everyone." I say. Every step I take on the gooey, squishy, and synthetic surface urks me the wrong way. The whole place feels wrong. My team rounds the corner and we see stasis pods piled on top of each other. They are similar from the Veetor's video and the pods we've seen on Horizon.

"Penetrating scans have detected an access node to uplink with Collector databanks." EDI informs through the comms. "Uploading coordinates to Team Leaders. Also, I have compared the ship's EM signatures to known Collector profiles. It is the same ship we have encountered on Horizon."

"Small world." Miranda mutters and I nod in agreement.

"Now I can kind of see how the turians were able to take the ship out. The GUARDIAN turrets must have punched a few nasty holes."

"After what you have told me Charles, this seems plausible." Samara adds, "Perhaps the colonists are still alive."

We move through the hallways of the ship and suddenly, my mask somehow picks up a very terrible smell.

Miranda stops and gasps at the horrific scene at the end of a hall. "This is...horrible." Large piles of decomposed human bodies are just lying around. We approach the pile and I could feel my insides turn inside out. "They could have been used for testing." Miranda continued. "If they were a control group, they would have been discarded at the end of the experiment."

"I'm glad you see this in a scientific point of view." I stare at her.

"I'm...sorry. I can't imagine what these people have gone through." Miranda frowns.

"I'm sure I can simulate that for you cheerleader." Jack flares her biotics and grins.

"Cut it out, Jack!" I turn and raise my voice at the young bald biotic before turning to the large pile. "They're dead. There's nothing we can do about these people. Let's...let's just keep going."

The hall takes a left and we proceed that way. I call in the other squads and from the sounds of disgust; they have seemed to have run into the same graphical scenes us. We pass along more empty pods before the hall ends and we have to go right. Down the hall are, what appears to be a computer terminal with two pods on either side of it. The one on the right was empty but on the other, a Collector is lying down on it. I bring up my omni-tool and begin syncing my data from the terminal to my omni-tool.

"So these are the Collectors?" Samara stood beside the pod and looks at it for awhile.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I lift my right brow with confusion. My mentor looked up at me then at the dead Collector.

"I was...just curious."

_Whatever._ "EDI," I hail the AI over the comms. "I'm sending you some data I recovered on a terminal. It looks like the Collectors were experimenting on their own guys. Care to tell me what for?"

"Packages received. Analyzing... The Collectors were running baseline genetic comparisons between their species and humans."

"Are they looking for similarities?" Jane presses over the comms.

"I have no hypothesis on their intentions." EDI begins, "However, I do have the preliminary results. They reveal something remarkable." _Remarkable? I don't like that._ Suddenly, images DNA strands appear on my omni-tool and our AI explains further. "A quad-genetic structure, identical to traces collected from ancient ruins. Only one race is known to have this structure. The Protheans." I could hear various members of my ground team gasp as EDI revealed the stunning information. _It can't be!_

"What? I thought that the Protheans disappeared 50,000 years ago? There's no way they still exist!" I exclaim as I look up and down the Collector carcass.

"These are no longer Protheans Charles." Samara concludes.

"Justicar Samara is correct." EDI adds, "Their genes show distinct signs of genetic rewrites. The Reapers have repurposed them to suit their needs."

"Indoctrinated servants." I inhale sharply. "Well, I guess we know what happened to the Protheans...or at least the survivors."

"We must stop the Collectors, no matter what they once were." Samara said in her usual calm voice.

"No shit. I'm not letting them turn me into some kind of fucked up bug thing." Jack grunted.

"Let's keep going shall we?" I roll my eyes. _Jack, you're a charmer._

We continue walking down the halls where things just keep getting a better and better. Hundreds of pods are hanging on the walls and ceiling. _Now I feel like throwing up. I hope my helmet has a puke bag._

"Jesus Christ. There must be hundreds of pods here. I wonder how many have people in 'em." I slowly turn to Jack. If I've brought my N7 Breather helmet, she would see me glaring at her. "What?" Jack asks.

"Keep those comments to yourself alright?"

"Whatever."

"I detect no signs of life in the pods Commander Alonso." EDI added. I breathed deeply in annoyance. "It is probable the victims inside died when the ship lost primary power."

I looked at Miranda and say with exasperation, "Do people ever listen to me?"

"Apparently not." Miranda grins.

"Uhh Ch-Charlie?" Shepard reached me through the comm. She sounded a bit at a loss of words.

"What is it Jane?"

"Where...Wh-where are you?" She asked.

"We're going up a long incline. I see light at the top. Something wrong?"

"You better see for yourself."

"Spritis!" Garrus adds with a gasp. "How many of these things are there?"

"Shepard, Joker here. On a hunch, I asked EDI to run an analysis on the ship."

EDI soon explains her findings, "I compared the EM profile against data recorded by the original Normandy two years ago. They are an _exact_ match."

"Well," I chuckle grimly, "Looks like Shepard has another fan."

"I'm fucking thrilled." Jane scoffs.

"Maybe they just want an autograph." Garrus and I laugh.

"I'm glad you two find this so amusing."

"In any event," Joker begins as my team begins to come out of the tunnel. "something doesn't add up. Watch your backs."

My team gasps as we look around. Thousands, even millions of pods are secured on the large hollow insides of the ship. "I think I'm going to be sick." Miranda pants. I go over to her and run my hands across her back for comfort.

"They couldn't fill all those pods even if they took every colony in the Termin-"

"Jack! Shut the HELL UP!" I yell, my voice echoes throughout the ship. Soon enough, Teams One and Two jump down to meet us. I take a second to calm myself down before I ask the other team leaders, "You guys see any hostiles?"

Shepard and Garrus both shake their heads. "I don't like it Charlie. I agree with Joker. This doesn't look good." Shepard adds.

"Agreed," I nod. The place is a fucking ghost town. No engine hums, no chatter, no weapon clicks. _Not a single fucking thing!_ _I can even hear my thoughts echoing._ I sigh internally and we begin to heading forwards as a collective group.

"There, on the platform." Mordin points down at the decline. An octagonal platform sits surrounded by pipes with some sort of golden liquid and latches. "Looks like some sort of control panel."

I find myself rushing towards it, looking around for something, a sense of normalcy. I quickly press a few commands on my omni-tool and run my hand over the central controls. "EDI, I'm setting up a bridge between you and the Collector ship. See if you can get anything useful."

"Of course Commander... Data mining in progress."

We wait for about five minutes before there is a white flash.

"The fuck was that?" Jack, shields her eyes.

"Whatever it is can't be good." Garrus grabs his vindicator rifle and slides in a thermal clip.

As soon as Garrus stopped speaking, there was a thundering clack. Latches inside the pipes slide up and down from the pipes and then, there was silence. _That was weird. _"EDI, talk to me!"

"The Normandy suffered a major power surge; systems were offline briefly. However, I managed to divert the overload to non-critical systems. I am back online." EDI reports. "Commander, it wasn't a malfunction."

"Then what was it?" Shepard asks, looking around paranoid with her brand new M-76 Revenant rifle close to her.

"This was a trap."

* * *

**It's a trap!**

**I'll hopefully have a Part 2 by next Thursday, depending on how busy I'll be with school, work and other things.**

**As always, until next time!**


	20. And Out of the Demon's Ass

**Hello everyone!**

**Sorry for the delay for this chapter. I have gone back to Chapter 1 and began editing all of my chapters to this story so feel free to go back and read the previous chapters. I added extra lines in at least every chapter so that also plays into why I haven't updated sooner. **

**Title of the last two chapters taken from a quote in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)**

* * *

...And Out of the Demon's Ass

**November 22, 2185**

**Collector Ship - Commander Shepard - 1245 hours**

"Then what was it?" I ask with a knot in my stomach. _This better not be a trap._

"This was a trap."

_Crap!_

All of a sudden, the ground beneath us started shaking. I stumbled into Mordin who steadied me. I extended my hand to Kasumi who fell on the ground. I took a look around and saw that we were nowhere near the ground. The large platform that we are standing on is at least fifty feet or so from the ground.

"EDI, we need some help over here!"

"I am having difficulties maintaining connection. There is someone else in the system."

"More platforms on the way!" Mordin points towards four platforms that have ascended over a rock formation and glided towards us in a steady pace. From afar, I could see in one platform, seven Collectors with arms at the ready. On the platform just behind it, four scions were slouching next to each other. To either side was a mixture of the two creatures: Two scions and four Collector troops.

"Heh! Bring it on!" Grunt reached for the shotgun on his back.

"Don't do anything stupid Grunt." Charlie looked at him as he reached for his own shotgun while he formed a barrier for himself. "Switch to your rifle. I don't want you charging them that causes you to fall off of the platform to your death. That goes to the rest of you too!"

Everyone nods in understanding before we crouch behind cover and wait for the incoming assault. I crouched beside Garrus, who eyed on a orange glowing Collector. "Let's take out Harbinger first shall we?" He says. I nod with a smirk and the two of us take the first shots of the fight. Harbinger could only growl at us before his possessed minion is destroyed.

"Connection re-established." EDI comes back, "I need to finish the download before I can override any systems." As soon as EDI finishes, The first platform makes begins to connect with us while the other two circle around.

"Then you better hurry EDI!" Charlie orders before he cocks his shotgun. "EVERYONE FIRE!" he orders as he jumps out of cover, shooting the closest Collector. The squad picks their targets, weakening them before we have to take cover from the scions that are hungry for us.

I switch to my sniper rifle, moving towards the back of the platform, near Mordin and Zaeed. I look through the scope and breathe deeply, pulling the trigger at a scion that had just launched a shockwave towards us. The bulking mass moans and stumbles but seems unscathed. It fires another quick shockwave at us before I take another shot at it. "Charlie help me out with the scion!" I yell as I run over to him.

Charlie switches to his rifle and nods. The both of us focus our attacks on the scion I was shooting at previously and it falls seconds later. We smile at one another and search for its buddy. I gasp as I look behind us. The scion was towering over us and I stay still. Beside me, Charlie flares his biotics pushes the scion in desperation. Samara comes into the fold and does a warp-reave combination as Charlie jumps on top of the barricade that Miranda, Kasumi and Garrus were hiding behind before he jumps on the scion's back. The scion roars and tries to shake Charlie off like a raging bull, slamming into the barricades and thrashing around. I could only watch in horror as I see Charlie desperately trying to hold on for dear life. In a desperate attempt, He reaches for the knife in his boots but is grabbed by the scion. It slams him down on the metallic surface below and steps on him.

"Fuck!" He curses and I scream.

"Somebody help him!" I look around and see everyone preoccupied as the Collectors have boarded our platform. _Damn it! _"MIRANDA!" I yell as I watch the Cerberus operative kick a Collector off of the platform. She turns and sees the scion crushing its foot on top of Charlie. Miranda jumps over the barrier and flares her biotics and warps the scion. I take the scion stumbling as an opportunity to pounce on him. Miranda and I double team on the scion with rage. The scion feels our wrath and every Collector that tries to defend it. It takes us a long two minutes for the squad and me to take out our enemies. Once we're clear, I run towards Charlie's side, who lies unconsciously on the floor.

"Charlie?" I plead while Miranda joins on the other side of his body. _No...please wake up._

"Chuck please wake up." Miranda says as she softly shakes him to get him to respond.

"We've got more enemies incoming." Amanda and Tali point at two more platforms that are making its way towards us.

"Damn it!" I say through gritted teeth.

"We need you Chuck! Wake up!" Miranda shakes him a little harder.

"They're boarding!" Garrus yells and I have no choice but to leave Charlie to defend him.

"Stay with him." I order as I reached for my rifle on the ground. _It's fucking my fault!_ I curse at myself as I take shoot and kill another Harbinger puppet. _Take this you pieces of shit!_ I reach for the 920-Cain on my back. _Hope this thing does its job. I haven't used one before, though I know and have seen what it does._

"Everyone take cover and close your eyes!" I yell as I prime the heavy weapon, aiming directly in the middle of three scions and eight Collectors. The Cain growls and beeps before it fires. I jump down on the ground and shield my eyes with my hands. A large explosion ensues seconds later and the thundering roar is echoed throughout the large hive of the ship. I slowly open my eyes and slowly pop my head up and see the small-sized mushroom cloud in front of me.

"Wow." Garrus pops his head up himself and stares in amazement. In other occasions, I would have joined in on the fun but as I turn to Charlie's still unconscious form, I find myself ignoring him. I quickly crawl back next to Charlie.

"Baby please wake up." I could hear Miranda whisper to him. "I need you."

Charlie finally groans lowly as I see his hands slowly go up to reach her. She smiles at him and she grabs his hand and gives it a squeeze. Seeing the two makes me feel weird. I get up and walk away from them.

"EDI talk to me." I say as I look back at the couple. Charlie sits up and holds Miranda in his arms and kisses her. I quickly look away and wait for the AI's response.

"I have downloaded the information; you must now give me control. Please reconnect me to the command console." I nod to nobody in particular and activate my omni-tool and do as requested. Moment's later, AI's globe appears. "I have regained control of the platform, Shepard."

I smile. "I know you wouldn't let us down, EDI."

"I _always_ work at optimal capacity." EDI disappears and our platform begins to ascend. "I have found data that could help us successfully navigate through the Omega 4 Relay. I have also found the turian distress call that served as the lure for this trap. The Collectors were the source." _What?_ I say to myself as I hear EDI's explanation. "It is unusual."

"What are you getting at?" Charlie huffs as he stands beside me.

"Turian emergency channels have secondary encryption. It is present, but it is also corrupted into the message. It is not possible for the Illusive Man would believe the distress call would be genuine."

"I still don't understand." My brows furrowed with confusion.

"I discovered an anomaly with Cerberus detection protocols. The Illusive Man wrote them."

_Why would he send us into a trap?_ I asked myself as our platform began making its landing on the ground.

"The son of a bitch sent us right into a Collector trap!" Charlie punches his fists on the top of the control panel.

"There has to be some sort of explanation!" Miranda shakes her head in confusion. "The Illusive man wouldn't _do_ this to us! He...he just wouldn't!"

"He got you good, _Cheerleader_." Jack laughs and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Houston!" Joker adds quickly, "We've got a problem here. The Collector ship is powering back up. We need to get out of here before our weapons come online. I'm not losing another Normandy!"

EDI voice quickly follows Joker as the team heads into a sprint, once hearing the ship's engines slowly come into life. "I do not have full control of their systems. I will do what I can, Commander. I am sending you coordinates for shuttle extractions."

"Come on! Let's get the fuck out of here!" Charlie orders as we run down the halls of the ship. A door opens on the right and we head straight there, jumping over cover, passing dead human bodies and empty pods.

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!"

I growl in anger as more Collectors drones swoop down in with their jetpacks but Samara, Jack, Miranda and Charlie quickly dispose of them, sending them flying into one another.

"Jane, stop bickering! We have to go!"

**Collector Ship - Commander Alonso - 1300 hours**

I shielded my eyes after Jane shot her Cain heavy gun at a Praetorian. _We're wasting time!_ I breathe heavily as I placed a large group of Collector drones and husks in a massive stasis bubble. _And energy. _I noticed that I was dragging under my feet as we continued jogging towards our ticket out of here. "If my day couldn't get worse, I have no idea."

"The weapons are almost online guys. Might want to double-time it so we can leave and you know, not die."

I roll my eyes at his poor attempt of humor. "Not now damn it!" We reach a corner and see a large pack of husks slowly walking back and forth down an incline. _Shit!_ I switch to my shotgun and install a cryo ammo mod.

"The shuttle is just ahead Commander." EDI informs.

"Alright, everyone make a break for it. I'll be right behind you guys." I order.

The husks slowly turn to face us and begin sprinting towards us. I shoot three with one shot and flare my biotics and send them towards the wall with a thumping force. My squad runs after I create another clear path from my biotics. I ignore the headache and bloody nose as I run behind my team, shooting my shotgun towards the husk's general direction. A husk manages to push through and grab me, trying to bite through my armor. I flare my biotics and throw him off.

"Get to the shuttle!" I yell as I sent warp after warp towards the husks that are trying to claw at my team. At this point, their safety is all I care about. _If they can escape safely while I stay behind, it's fine by me._

"Come on!" Miranda yells as she is the last one to reach the shuttle. I send another wave of biotics at a pair of husks but my biotics have drastically grown weaker. "Chuck!" Miranda screams as two more husks reach me and pull me to the ground.

"Get off of me you assholes!" I punch and elbow them but I couldn't shake them off. I reach for my knives and jammed them in their glowing eyes. I push them off and try to get up but three more husks tackle me back to the ground. Their hands claw through my armor and I scream in pain.

"Chuck!" Miranda yells and I hear her quickened footsteps reach me followed by three loud bangs in quick succession. "Get up you ass!" she says with venom as I slowly get up, wrapping my arm around her waist. "Cover us!" She orders. Grunt, Samara, Jack and Shepard shoot from the shuttle for a few moments before the two of us are secured inside.

"Let's go!" Shepard yells at the pilot once the door closes.

The world around me began getting blurry. The last thing I saw was Miranda and Shepard hovering above me.

**Five days later...**

My eyes slowly opened and I've never been so exhausted and weak. I looked around and noticed I was in the med bay, hooked up to IV's and other monitors. I began to sit, and hating it as the room around me began to spin. I closed my eyes shut and slowly lied back down, breathing a sigh of relief that the dizziness had disappeared. The med bay door hissed opened and I turned to see Miranda walking towards me. I slowly closed and opened my eyes again once Miranda stood beside me.

I gulped when I saw those cold eyes trained on me that I saw only weeks ago. Her eyes averted her gaze to look at a monitor before walking towards one of the trays on the other side of my bed. She grabbed a syringe and injected it into the tube that was connected with me. I tried to stop whatever it was she was doing by reaching for her hand. But as soon as Miranda's thumb pressed the plunger, I felt sleepy.

**Twelve hours later...**

_Miranda and I stood next to each other inside the Collector ship, with our masks off. She grabbed my hand and we cautiously walked down the halls of the ship._

_"Stay close alright?" I said to her and she only nods._

_I grab Miranda's tempest submachine gun that was holstered on my lover's waist and aimed it in front of us as we walked, searching for something._

_"I'm scared Chuck" Miranda whispered as she gripped my hand tighter._

_"Nothing's going to happen, I promise."_

_"Charlie..." I heard a voice whisper towards us. Miri and I rounded the corner and saw Shepard hiding in the corner with her knees close to her chest, shaking her head while she rocked back and forth._

_"Jane!" I yelled as I ran to her before handing Miranda back her gun. "Jane?" I called again but Shepard continue to rock back and forth. "Shepard, look at me. It's me." Shepard stopped rocking but refused to look at me. Her head was squeezed in between her legs._

_There was an eerie, high-pitched scream in the distance that caused my skin to crawl. It wasn't a scream of someone being tortured but more like a wail that is meant to impose fear._

_"Shepard we have to go. Please!" Miranda cried out as he pointed her gun at the scream's direction. Another wail could be heard, this time sounding closer._

_"We are superior" Jane said in a husky voice. She seemed calm but continued to hide her face. "This body's pain is irrelevant."_

_'What?' I tilted my head before Jane rose her head. My eyes widened with fear as I see her eyes have changed. 'Saren's eyes...' "No..." I shook my head. "This can't be!"_

_"Chuck we have to go!" Miranda pleaded._

_I ignored Miranda's pleads while I stared at Shepard's blue glowing eyes. Jane smirked as she looked at me. She reached over grabbed me across my throat and began choking me._

_"This hurts you, Alonso, doesn't it?" Shepard said to me as I tried to kick her off. "You have no one left."_

_"Jane! Stop it!" I said through gritted teeth while Jane squeezed her hands around me._

_"I am the Harbinger of your ascendance."_

"NOOOOOO!" I woke in a cold sweat, holding my throat as I breathed heavily. I ripped the needles and monitoring equipment off of me and ran out of the med bay. I ran down the squad's quarters and into Shepard's quarters. "Shepard!" I cried out. Jane stayed fast asleep and I jumped on her bed and held her. Jane stirred and saw me holding onto her for dear life.

"Charlie? Charlie, what's wrong?" She asked.

"I thought I lost you." I whispered while tears fell down my cheeks.

"What are you talking about?"

I shook my head. "You don't want to know. I'm just glad you're safe."

"I'm fine." Jane smiled as she wrapped her hands around my waist and kissed me on the forehead. "Go to sleep. I'll be right here."

I shook my head. "I can't." I whimper as I gripped my arms tightly around her waist. "I don't want to close my eyes. I don't want to go back there."

Shepard could only hold me as we lied on her bed. "Okay..." She whispered. "Let's stay just like this."

I nod and feel her love and warmth. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Shepard kisses me on the forehead again. "We're still here."

I could only shake my head violently back and forth. "But still, I'm sure I worried you when the scion knocked me out. I shouldn't have done that but I had to save you...and I did the first thing that I could think of."

"I appreciate that Charlie, I really do but you should apologize to your girlfriend instead. She's pissed at you; hasn't even left her office since she dropped you off in the med bay."

_Except when she gave me that sedative when I first woke up._ I say to myself. "I probably should. I'll be right back...probably."

"We need to talk once you're done. So come and see me when you get the chance."

I nod and make my way towards the XO's office. I take a deep breath once I'm in front of Miranda's door. I gently touch the door's controls and the door opens. I find Miranda sitting on her desk with reddened eyes. I frown at the sight and slowly walk inside. "Good morning." I try to lighten up the mood but it is met by a deadly glare from Miranda.

"I am _not_ in the mood for your jokes, _Commander._" Miranda spits and stands from her chair and walks towards me.

"Look, I-"

"Don't!" Miranda interrupts, jabbing her finger in my chest. "You must think that your life is some sort of bloody joke to you. THIS ISN'T A GAME!" She raises her voice at me and I dodge out of the way from the invasion of space, moving farther inside her quarters. "And you aren't some bloody saint! You are human just like the rest of us! How dare you." Tears begin flowing down both of our faces. Mine is filled with guilt while hers are with pure rage. "How dare you do this to your squad? We need you alive damn it! Shepard needs you alive! _I_ need you alive!" Miranda closes the distance towards me and flares her biotics, giving me a hard, deserving slap on my face. The slap feels like a fiery volcano. The initial burn is quick but quickly expands throughout the side of my face. I stagger but I was able to take the hard slap, much to my disappointment. "How could you do that to me?" Miranda sobs, falling down to the ground.

My heart is breaking. I step back until I hit her bed. I fall on the ground, not breaking my eyes off of the woman I care so much for. _The woman I hurt._ I curse and clench my fists as I see Miranda cry uncontrollably. _I don't know what to do. If I try to hold her, she'll push me away. If I stay here...Damn it why._

"I...was doing my job." I say softly. I laugh internally at myself. _Even I don't believe that._ "If I have the opportunity to save you, I will...even if it means sacrificing my life for you."

"But that's not what I want." Miranda begins to wipe her tears away, only to have more falling down her face. "I want _you_ _alive_!" She shakes her head as I crawl towards, "you're driving me crazy."

I shrug my shoulders. "I get that a lot." Miranda scoffs and flares her biotics in frustration and slaps me even harder this time.

"Damn you! I hate _and_ love you at the same time!"

"I'm so sorry." I say finally as I cautiously reach to hold her hand. "Please forgive me. I just don't want you getting hurt. I'll do whatever I can to ensure you survive. I love you." Miranda and I stare into each other's eyes. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you. You have Oriana in Illium. A younger sister to take care of. I don't have any family left. You're all I have. If you..." I pause as I feel a large lump on my throat. I swallow twice before I speak again. "If you die...I won't let that happen Miri. I made a promise to your sister to keep you safe. I have no intention to break that promise." Miranda then tackles me to the ground and hungrily kisses me on the lips. I return the hungry kiss as roll on the ground, each of us seeking for dominance. "I'm sorry." I kept repeating everytime one of us broke the kiss.

"Don't ever do that to me again." She warned and I nodded.

"I promise. Never again." I lean down and kiss her soft lips, flaring my biotics to further intensify the touch. She does the same, running her fingers delicately down my spine, sending a tingling sensation throughout my body.

"I'm fixed." Miranda said through passing as I carried her up towards the bed. I froze and look down at her, confused at what she meant.

_What? _"Fixed?" I asked, tilting my head at Miranda's smile.

"I'm fixed." She repeats again. I stare blankly at her for a few moments before I gasp. _She's fixed!_

"You're fixed?" I exhale as I smile. "When?"

"Yesterday. Mordin and I have been talking briefly since you and I spent our time on Illium." Miranda smiles. "We've been taking tests and it wasn't until yesterday when I went under. Mordin fixed me Chuck." I froze there looking at her, still smiling. _I could be a dad...and Miranda can carry a child._ _Everything has to change from this day forward. _"Well say something!" Miranda mock-glares at me and I couldn't help but kiss her.

"This is a blessing." I smile, "my dreams are slowly coming true."

"I think we should wait on having a child." Miranda bites her bottom lip.

"I certainly don't want to raise her in this hell." I nod in agreement.

"_Her_?" Miranda arches her brow in amusement and her smile grows. "You want a girl?"

I find myself blushing. "I...do. Is that bad?"

"No, of course not. I just picture you having a son." Miranda giggles before kissing me lovingly.

"I don't care what gender it is." I admit, "I'll love him or her no matter what. In any event,"  
I begin, a smirk curling on my lips, "you should control your urges sweetheart. I know you get horny all the time so try to keep those legs closed." I wink. "I know I'm good looking and you can't help it but still."

Miranda gasps dramatically and slaps me on the shoulder. "You jerk! You're one to talk."

I lean in to kiss her, turning serious. "Just stay alive okay? I'll get us through this. I promise."

"No promises." Miranda grins and I roll my eyes.

"I should go." I lean down to kiss her. "I love you Miri. Don't ever forget that. Get some rest okay? Shepard wants to talk to me about something...probably a mission," I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know. We'll talk later okay?" Miranda nods and I kiss her one more time. "Love you."

"I love you too."

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**Thanks to ARavingLoooney for your review and yes your are correct and to SabreWolf1080 for following :)**

**Garrus/Shepard and other loyalty missions to follow after. I'll have Liar of the Shadow Broker coming up as well.**

**Feel free to leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter or if you spotted some errors. Any positive and helpful inputs are always appreciated.**

**Until next time!**


	21. Helping the Convict

**Hello everyone! **

**I hope everyone had a good week :) We've got a BIG chapter in today. I minimized Garrus' mission but had the important stuff in. The chapter's main focus was Jack's loyalty mission.**

**A cheesy reference from a certain video game as well as Star Wars and Chuck references inside and a certain bitch reporter makes an appearance.**

**Happy Chuckiversary to my fellow Chucksters readers :) I also wrote a Chuck one shot, giving the show a little bit of closure that the series finale didn't give us.**

**EDIT 1/28/13: I re-read this chapter and fixed a lot of the typos and grammatical errors I could find. **

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**Helping the Convict**

**December 1, 2185**

**Citadel - Normandy Docking Bay - Commander Alonso - 0800 hours**

Shepard, Garrus, Tali and I were on our way towards the elevator that would take us to C-Sec headquarters. I was behind the trio as I was being accompanied by Miranda. I am a little relieved and happy that Miranda is now open with our relationship and has now begun opening up to various members of the crew. The so called 'Ice Queen' has melted away and the Miranda I knew and loved has surfaced towards my people... _Except for Jack. _I frowned as the two seemed to hate each other even more. Still, it wasn't something that I could help with at the moment. Hopefully, as time goes on, the tension that hangs in the air between the two will fade. For now, I have to have a watchful eye between the two whenever they are near one another. The last thing I need right now is a hole on my ship. _God that would suck._

I reached for Miranda's hand as we walked side by side, giving her petite hand a loving squeeze. She looked at me in a sideways glance and smiled as she looked forward. My heart began to melt as I stared at that smile. My love and adoration for the woman has grown even more that even words can't begin to describe. I don't think anything or anyone can take her away from me. _Not if I can help it. _I leaned over and whispered ever so gently in her ear, "You're perfect." A slight pinkish color appeared on Miranda's cheeks. I bit the inside of my lip as I watched her fluster. I broke free from her hands and instead, wrapped my arms around her waist. She leaned in and rested her head on my shoulder, smiling as we walked. A grin slowly spread on my lips as I slowly lowered my hand and possessively squeezed Miri's perfectly well-formed ass.

Miranda moaned in contempt, gaining as suspicious look from Shepard.

"What?" Miranda and I said in unison. Jane growled and continued to walk with the turian and the quarian.

Miranda playfully slapped me on the stomach. "Behave." She whispered as her fingers roamed up and down my armored plated arm. "I can't wait to take these off of you."

"Oh?" I smirked. "Who's impatient now!" I winked as the trio ahead of us waited for the elevator to arrive. I kissed the top of her forehead as we waited, before turning my attention towards Shepard. "You lead the way Shepard."

"I thought I already was?" Shepard arched a brow. I shrugged my shoulders in reply.

"I'll see you later, _Commander._" Miranda winked and walked back towards the Normandy. I sighed dreamily as I watched her go.

"Women huh?" I said to no one in particular while I saw Miranda looking back at me and gave me another wink.

Garrus chuckled while Tali and Shepard groaned. "You're a pig Charlie." Shepard added.

"Oh be quiet!" I waved my hand dismissively and looked at Shepard, "Like you don't do it too." Shepard's gaze hardened but I was able to flee from it because the elevator had opened. Garrus and Tali followed after, then Shepard. We stood in silence as the elevator began its descent.

"Back in these dreadful elevators." Garrus quipped as he glanced at Tali, who looked just as excited to be back on the slow elevators of the Citadel. Garrus chuckled and soon added, "Remember how we'd all ask you about life on the flotilla? Mind sharing more stories?" Garrus mused with a grin.

"It was very insightful indeed." Shepard joined with a grin of her own.

"No." Tali crossed her arms as she faced the large window screen and looked down at the large population of people walking back and forth inside C-Sec headquarters.

"Come on! Hey, tell me again about your immune systems." Garrus poked.

Tali swung hips and faced the turian and growled, "I have a shotgun."

"Mmm." Garrus hummed, "Maybe we'll talk later."

I rolled my eyes and stepped out with Tali and was already getting bombarded with stares. "Let's just go before the pres-"

"Commander Alonso!" someone yelled. "Commander Shepard!" _Before the press arrives..._ I sighed and looked at a news reporter waving her arms at me. The little camera bot hovered beside her as the reporter walked over and introduced herself. "Khalisah bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund news." She extender her hand towards me.

_Oh...this bitch. I remember her. _I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned on my hip. Shepard took her hand and shook it. "Hello." Shepard smiled.

"Hello Commander. I was wondering if both of you have a moment to answer some questions."

Shepard shrugged her shoulders. "Sure why not. I don't think that's a problem...right Commander?" She looked at me and reluctantly, I nodded.

The news reporter touched her ear and the bot's lights came on and temporarily blinded me. _Do I have to destroy this robot too?_ I growled internally.

Al-Jilani cleared her throat and began her opening statement. "Sources claim that the both of you were at the heart of the Presidium during the Battle of the Citadel. If true, you told Admiral Hackett to _assist_ the Destiny Ascension, costing hundreds of human lives and securing the continued dominance of the Citadel Council."

I was about to say something but Shepard beat me to the punch. " The turians lost 20 cruisers...I'd figure that each had about 300 crewmen aboard. The ascension had a crew of over 10,000."

"But surely humanity lost-"

"The Alliance lost eight cruisers: The Shenyang, Emden, Jakarta, Cairo, Seoul, Cape Town, Warsaw, Madrid." Shepard quickly countered. I frowned at the names of Madrid and Cape Town. _I miss you guys so much. _I looked down and blinked my tears away and quickly regained my composure. "Everyone in the Fifth Fleet is a hero. The Alliance owes them _all_ medals. The Council owes them _a lot_ more than that." Shepard looked at me and smiled sadly before turning back to the reporter with a glare. "And so do you." And she walked away, leaving me alone with the reporter.

Al-Jilani gulped and cleared her throat and began to question me. "Commander Alonso, it seems that you are now ali- UGH!"

I stepped forward and punched her square in the face, knocking her down. I stood over her and snarled. "That was for my mom and dad you fucking bitch! May they rest in peace. If you disrespect them again, I _will_ kill you. I will promise you that." I kicked her in the stomach before stepping over her and walked away to join Shepard.

"You...you think you can keep treating the press like that?" Khalisah yelled, "You think you can get away with it?"

I stopped and walked back towards her, flaring my biotics to lift her and ramming her up against the wall, shattering a holographic billboard "I can do whatever the fuck I want Al-Jilani. I may not be a spectre at the moment but Councilor Tevos is a dear friend of mine. I'm sure she would pardon anything that I could do to you. Hell I'm sure Councilor Grumpy would even give me a _fucking_ medal." I flashed an evil grin; it spread even more as the reporter's eyes widened with horror. My fingers roamed softly across her bottom lip. "_Tsk, Tsk,_" I shook my head. "Such a pretty thing you are." My eyes roamed up and down her body. In a low whisper, I said. "I could destroy you here and now and nobody would care. I'm sure Emily Wong would be please to see you dead."

"Please!" Khalisah quivered. "Please don't kill me."

"Oh I won't...yet."

"Charlie..." Shepard softly called for my attention.

"One more second darling." I said as I saw the fear in the young reporter's eyes. I smiled and softly lowered her. "_Run._" Frightened, the human reporter ran away. Her broadcasting bot followed close behind.

"Hey..." Shepard touched my arm.

"Sorry," I shrugged my shoulders. "Nobody should ever doubt the decision you made to save people."

"I'm talking about your mom and dad." She said softly.

"I'm alright." I sighed, looking down in sadness. "I miss them."

"I know you do." She held me close and I welcomed it, wrapping my arms around her waist. "I'm sure somewhere, they are looking down at you and are smiling."

"I hope so." I break our embrace and took a deep breath. "Let's get on with this."

A drive down towards the zakera ward later, we reach Bailey's office.

"Commander," He greets me with a nod, "what can I do for you?"

"My friends and I are looking for a local forger." I sit on the edge of his desk. "He goes by the name of Fade."

Bailey nods, "I know of him. Works with the Blue Suns. He's been a pain of the ass since his start."

"Where can we find him?" Garrus asks.

"The hell if I know. If I did, he'd be in a cell. Though, there's a warehouse in the marketplace where some of Fade's contacts work. Feel free to ask some questions...friendly of course."

I chuckle as I begin to stand. "No promises but I'll try."

Bailey chuckles in return. "Thought you might say that. Anyways, good luck."

As the four of us walked inside the warehouse, three Krogan bodyguards stood in a huddle, talking with one another. They turned as soon they heard us walk in. A volus walked around a couple of canisters that were stacked on top of the other.

"Fade?" Shepard questioned as she stood beside me. "You're not quite what I had expected." She looked down at the volus.

The volus nodded and spoke. "Looks can be deceiving." The alien's tank gasped, indicating that the volus took a deep breath. "So, who wants to disappear?"

"Actually," Garrus began, grabbing his pistol by his side, "I'd like for you to make someone reappear."

"...That is not the service we provide."

I glare at the volus in frustration. I reach for my shotgun on my back and aim at him. "I suggest you reconsider."

"Quick!" The volus turned to the large Krogans behind him. "Shoot them!"

Tali and Shepard drew their weapons. "I don't think that would be wise." I flared my biotics while Shepard stared down at the three bodyguards. The three Krogans surrendered and left.

"Bah! Useless Krogans!"

"I'd start talking, Fade." Garrus towered over the small volus. "My friend here has some knives. He has many different ways for making people talk."

I give Garrus a quick look before I looked down at the volus with an evil grin. "He's right." I resist the urge to unsheathe my knife from my boot as it might cause the short alien to feint.

"Wait!" The stubby volus waved his pudgy hands in front of him as he steps back. "I'm not the one you want to talk to...I-I'm not Fade!"

"Well," Shepard holsters her pistol and steps forward, kneeling down to the volus' eye level. "Maybe you can point us to the right direction."

"He's in the factory district! The old prefab foundry."

"-I know the place." Garrus nods towards the exit.

"He's got a lot of mercs." The volus' voice is filled with freight. "Harkin thinks he's protecting him."

_Harkin? _I tilt my head. Garrus huffs, shaking his head in disappointment. "Can't say I'm surprised. We should get moving."

"So...I uhh...I can go?" The volus asked nervously.

Garrus looks back at him and nods before turning his body to face him. "Sure but if we don't find Harkin, we'll come back for you." Instinctively, Shepard and Garrus drew their guns at him at the same time.

I roll my eyes at them and drag Tali with me. "Come on Tali, let's wait for these cowboys to stop showing off." Tali nods and giggles while we wait for the other two members of my squad to join me.

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - XO's Office - Operative Miranda Lawson - 1100 hours**

I sit in my terminal after a quick workout in the gym. I let my hair lose from my ponytail and the ends of my hair sticks to my skin from the sweat sweat. I check in and report to my contacts around the galaxy. A small box appears on the bottom of my screen. _A message from Ori. _I smile and open up the message.

_Hi Randa!_

_I was just coming up to check in on you. I hope everything is alright. How's the Commander? ;)_

_Anyways if you're on RelayChat, send me a message!_

_Love you!_

A smile comes across my face. _Maybe I'll do that. _I grab a clean set of clothes and head for the shower.

**Minutes later...**

I sit back on my terminal, and log into RelayChat on the extranet.

_Username: LawBringerSR2_

_Password: ********_

I wait for a moment for myself to connect. As I wait, I reach towards the right side of my desk and reach for my makeup kit.

_Hello, LawBringerSR2_

I look at my recent contacts and see that Ori is online. I highlight her username, OLawson and start the conversation.

_ML: Hey Ori_

_OL: Hey Randa! I'm glad you got my message. How are you?_

_ML: I'm fine. We're docked on the Citadel right now. Charlie has some things to take care of with Shepard and another squadmate. They should be back soon._

_OL: You're not with him?_

_ML: As much as I'd like to be with him on the battlefield, I have a lot of work that needs to be done back on the Normandy. Besides, he's a big boy; he can take care of himself._

_OL: 'Big boy' huh?_

I find myself blushing and cursing at myself for the poor choice of words.

_ML: Ori!_

_OL: What? I'm kidding! You are so easy to tease hehe._

_ML: Yes, I've been told that by Charlie as well..._

_OL: Is he watching out for you?_

_ML: I can take care of myself Ori, I don't need his protection._

_OL: ...That sounds a bit cold._

_ML: Sorry_

_OL: Geez Randa, you gotta lighten up!_

I cross my arms over my chest and wait for a moment. I breathe deeply and respond.

_ML: Look, I'm not used to...talking with people. I spent most of my career putting my work over everything else. It's funny really, those that have worked with me before have also called me cold. At the time I didn't care what people thought. My work has mattered to me the most._

_OL: Oh...I...I see. Sorry._

_ML: No it's me who should be sorry. You're my sister Ori and I love you very much._

_OL: Aww! I love you too._

_ML: Has Danner been behaving?_

_OL: Of course! Why wouldn't he be?_

_ML: Because he's a boy. I know what they're like._

_OL: Oh? Care to elaborate?_

_ML: Don't change the subject. Are you happy with him?_

_OL: Well...we've been dating for a short time but I know he likes me._

_ML: Ori, there is a difference between likes and loves_

_OL: LOVES okay? I meant love! Geez Randa._

I giggle and smile before the door swings open and Chuck walks into my office with his blue-blooded armor. He gives me a sad smile and sits over the edge of desk, peering over to snoop in and read Ori's conversation with me. He smiles, shaking his head but remains quiet.

I stare at him for a moment. Something is bothering him so I should probably say goodbye to my sister.

_ML: Hey listen, Charlie is back and it looks like he wants us to talk. So I guess I'll talk to you later. Love you Ori._

_OL: No problem. Say hi to him for me okay? Love you too. TTYL!_

I disconnect from the RelayChat and take Chuck's hand and guide him towards the sofa near my bed. "Everything alright?" I ask.

"Yeah," he sighs deeply, looking down at his stained armor. "Don't worry, nobody got hurt. This is Sidonis' blood. Garrus killed him. He should be good to go for the rest of the mission."

I nod and kiss him on the cheek. "That's from Ori and this one..." I whisper as I lean in to brush my lips with his. "is from me."

The Commander smiles and touches my cheek affectionately, "You always find a way to make me feel better. Thank you."

"That bad huh?" I frown.

"Yeah...Shepard and Garrus." Charlie paused before continuing. "They got carried away. They killed Harkin -don't really care about that. He's an ass if I remember correctly- but they were different once those two saw the turian from afar."

"It's understandable. Sedonis betrayed both Shepard and Garrus. You did the right thing in letting Garrus and Shepard have their revenge."

Charlie shakes his head and stands up and begins pacing. "That's all well in good but you weren't there. Shepard...she was...different once we reached Harkin. She turned so cold that it scared me. I don't remember seeing her that ruthless before."

"Have you talked to her?" I asked.

He shook his head once more. "I didn't think it would be a good idea right now. Hell she didn't say a word after she killed Harkin. I'll talk to her once she cools down. We're off to Pragia, should be there in six days then we're going to Zorya for another six then Tuchanka. Just thought I'd let you know."

"I appreciate it Commander."

"I'm gonna go to go get some sleep." He yawns tiredly, "Feel free to join me when you're done." Charlie smirks.

I roll my eyes, lean back and cross my arms over my chest. "Confident that you can get me in your bed?"

He shrugs, leaning over me so we are eye-to-eye, "Hey you're the one that put me back together-"

"And I do _damn _good work." I wink at him suggestively.

He smirks, pulling me up from my chair and wraps his arms around my waist to grab my ass. I inhale a sharp breath as he squeezes firmly. "You certainly do." His eyes begin to wander at my body and I don't hide it from him. As his eyes wander, so does mine.

I bite the inside of my cheek as I remove his armor with finesse. I pull on the clasps of his leggings, followed by his arm then his torso. I move him back a few steps and begin circling around him. The soft clacking of my heels are the only sound currently in the room. The thermals that he wears leave no room for the imagination. I could see the tight muscles of his arms, chest and stomach through the tight clothing. I pause and look down at his bulge and grin. "Something you like, _Lawson_?" He asks with a grin.

I shrug my shoulders but smile nonetheless before continuing studying his features. "Perhaps." I say as my fingers trail across his shoulders, flaring my biotics and causing the Commander to shiver with delight. "Honestly," I stop in front of him once more and take a few steps forward. "I prefer seeing you without any clothes." I whisper to him in his ear before sucking his earlobe.

"That's funny," he moans, "I could say the same about you."

"Well _Commander_," I give him a lengthy, hungry kiss, "What are you waiting for?"

That was all he needed. He gently took me towards my bed and had some fun for a few hours.

**December 6, 2185**

**Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 2300 hours**

_"Heh! You were close." Harkin grinned as Shepard, Tali and I breached the criminal's control room. "But looks like you weren't fast enou-Ufff!" Garrus came into the other door across from us and hit the back of Harkin's head with the butt of his Vindicator rifle. Harkin turned and was met by a punch in the face from the turian. Garrus pushed him to the wall, pressing his arm across Fade's esophagus._

_"So," Garrus grinned as he pressed harder, getting Harkin to wince in pain. "Fade. You couldn't get yourself to disappear hmm?"_

_"Garrus! Come on buddy!" Harkin said between gritted teeth. "We can work something out! Tell me what you want?"_

_"Shepard and I are looking for someone." Garrus drops him and backs away only slightly. "Someone you have recently helped."_

_"Well I guess we both got something the other one wants." Harkin looks at Shepard and winks._

_Jane glares in response, pushes me to get to him and punches him in the crotch. "FFUCK!" Harkin curses, cupping himself as he huffs for breath._

_"Asshole." Jane kicks him in the stomach while he's on the ground, causing Harkin to groan in pain. "Maybe you should just tell us what we want to know."_

_Garrus lifted him up and shoved him back against the wall, resuming the posture the two were in a few seconds ago. "You recently helped a turian named Lantar Sedonis. Shepard and I need to find him."_

_"I'm not giving you information on my clients. It's bad for business." Harkin growled._

_Garrus released his hold and punched him in the face and stepped on his throat. "You know what else is bad for business? A broken neck!"_

_"Arrggg!" Harkin tried to break free from the weight of the turian crushing his neck. "Alright alright! Get off me you birdbrain!" Harkin began to choke and I walked over and touched his arm. Garrus looked back at me and relented, removing his boot from the human._

_"Arrange a meeting." Shepard demanded as she pointed her pistol at Harkin's head. "If you try anything..."_

_Wordlessly, the ex-C-Sec officer nodded and brought up his omni-tool and pressed a few commands. "Hey...yeah it's me listen, there might be a chance that you might be compromised...That's why I'm calling. I'm sending an agent. Where do you want to meet? Alright, he'll be there." Harkin disconnected the call and fiddled with his hands. "See? It's all good. He wants to meet by the orbital lounge in the middle of the day. So...if business is done, I'll be going."_

_"Not so fast." Garrus grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "I don't think so. You're a criminal now, Harkin."_

_"So what?" Harkin spoke an octave higher, his voice filled with worry. "You're going to turn me in? Come on Garrus...You're not going to kill me are you?"_

_"Me? Kill you?" Garrus shook his head, "No but I don't mind slowing you down." Garrus shoved Harkin and as he stumbled his way to the ground, he put a bullet on his knee._

_"Arg! SON OF A BITCH!" Harkin rolled in pain, holding his knee in his hands._

_Garrus huffed, "If you pull something, I'll just follow the blood trail." Garrus walked away. Harkin moaned in pain as Tali, Shepard and I watched. Jane grinned and stood beside him. "What the fuck do you want?" Harkin looked up at the brunette._

_"You know," Jane looked at me then back down at Harkin, grinning down at the injured man. "I used to be a criminal like you...until I got a bullet in the knee."_

_I arched an eyebrow at her. 'Really?' I said to myself._

_"Oh yeah?" Harkin growled. "Well sweetheart, I'd hate to see that sexy little-"_

_**BAM!**_

I stared blankly at the datapad that connected to me that connected to the extranet. I kept replaying that moment in my head as I lied down on my bed. I was shortly interrupted by my door swishing open.

"You wanted to see me Charlie?" Jane asked as she stepped into my quarters.

I nodded and patted on a spot in the bed next to me. "Come here."

The former redhead smiled and sat across from me on the bed, crossing her legs together. I placed the datapad beside me and positioned myself to get comfortable. "What's up?" Jane asked.

"How are you?"

"Fine," Jane smiled, "I just got off with talking with Liara. I miss her but at least we get to talk. When are we going back to Illium?"

I pondered at the question. _Probably not anytime soon. _"I'm not sure. We've got a lot of work to do. Maybe -if this whole thing lasts long enough and if we're still alive- we can go spend Christmas there."

"That'd be fun!" Jane agreed. "Still, it's quite a ways away."

"I... wanted to talk to you about our last mission." I began. Jane's smile disappeared but I couldn't drop it. "You...I have to be honest here, you really scared me back there. You just killed him, in cold blood! He was unarmed."

"He deserved it." Shepard snarled, "He's a pig. He got what was coming to him."

"Yet you continued to shoot him once he was dead. Hell, you even scared Tali!"

Jane scoffed in frustration, "What did you want me to do Charlie? Let him go?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I wanted you to do. C-Sec could have handled it! You didn't have to kill him. That wasn't who you were Jane. He didn't deserve to be killed like that."

"You're right..." Jane sighed, her frustration still lingering. "I should have chopped his balls off with those knives of yours and _THEN_ killed him."

"JANE!" I yelled.

"WHAT!"

"Stop it!" I looked away from her glaring gaze, trying to blink my tears away. "Stop it..." I pleaded, whispering. "I can't let you lose you to the darkness of this galaxy."

"I..." Jane's voice softened and trailed as she looked at me. Her eyes twinkled with sadness and she reach to grab my hands.

"Please..." I can't help myself anymore. Tears fall down my cheeks. "I can't lose you."

"Hey..." Jane holds me in her arms, her body shaking from her own tears. "You'll never lose me. I'm sorry I behaved liked that." I held her tighter, not wanting to let her go. "I'm sorry." She whispered and kissed my forehead. "You okay?"

I nod after a few seconds of silence. "Yeah...just don't go. Stay here."

"I will."

"...Good."

**December 7, 2185**

**Pragia - Kodiak Shuttle - Commander Alonso - 2000 hours**

Jack paced the small interior of the shuttle. Thane, Shepard and I sat beside one another, carefully watching her.

_She's a bomb ready to explode. _I furrowed my eyes before standing up and look out the front widow. "How much longer?" I asked Jennifer Hadley, our shuttle pilot.

"Just under two minutes, Commander." The blonde replied.

I leaned down and whispered, "Can you speed it up? I got a feeling Jack's going to do something drastic."

"You're not scared of a little biotic explosion are you Chuck?" I hear Miranda talk to me through my Sentry Interface visor. I could imagine her grinning from the comfort of her quarters. I glare at her mocking voice and grumble something in reply, gaining a melodic laugh from my girlfriend.

"Commander," EDI synthesized voice comes through the shuttle's comm. "I am picking up thermal signatures everywhere except at your landing zone."

"Hostiles?" I ask, though even I doubt the word that came out of my mouth. As we fly over the dark tropical forest below, I doubt people would _ever_ come here for relaxation. _Reminds me a bit of Freedom's Progress. A fucking ghost town...or planet in this case. _

"This was a secret Cerberus facility." Thane said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah... they build their facilities to last." Jack shakes her head in disapproval, tsking, "Assholes." She turns to me and shakes her head once more. "I-it was a mistake coming here Alonso."

I give her a pat on the shoulder. "Hey, everything is going to be alright. When we start a mission, we finish it Jack. You know that. I'm here for you."

"Yeah...okay. Let's do it."

Shortly after, the shuttle begins its descent. I look over at Jack who gives me a nod in return. I give her a quick smile before looking at my rest of my team. "Alright, this should be a quick get-in-get-out mission but I want everyone on their guard. We don't know what we might find down there, so **be careful**. Understood?" The three nod and the shuttle doors open. I look at the bomb carriers near the cockpit. "I'll radio in when the pathway is clear."

"Understood,sir." Anthony Greyson nods before Thane, Shepard and I step out first.

I immediately feel the cold rain falling down my head. I look back at Jack who has a frown on her face. "Come on." I say softly to her and she nods.

"Let's just get in there, plant the bomb in my cell and get out of here." Jack says to me. My team and I walk down a flight of metallic stairs and down towards a catwalk before we seek shelter inside the dark facility. We see moss and overgrown plant life throughout the first room. "I never saw this room. I think they brought new kids in these containers."

_Containers? What cont-Oh..._ I see small containers stacked up on one another. They are about four feet wide by four feet tall.

"This is...horrific." Thane says sadly as he kneels beside one of the containers.

"And _you _are dating someone who is working for these people?" Jane accuses. I look at her and glare.

"Shut it Shepard. She is anything _but_ these monsters."

"Cerberus is Cerberus, Commander." Jack glares at me and moves on.

"Hey! Wait!" I walk behind Jack in a brisk pace and see her stop in front of a terminal.

"The Illusive Man requested operation logs again. He's getting suspicious." The voice on the terminal said. _An old log. _

"Just as I suspected when I read about it a few years ago Chuck..." Miranda says with some venom in her voice, "This facility went rogue."

"Looks like someone was working beyond their contract." Thane agrees with Miranda's statement.

"They didn't say _what_ they were hiding from the Illusive Man."

"Maybe they were hiding blow up dolls." I grin. Jack and Shepard roll their eyes and continue on. "Hey, I mean come on...Have you seen this place? It's in the middle of fucking nowhere! Miri, you agree with me right?"

"I'm not answering that." Miranda said uncomfortably.

The way she said it made me to stop walking. "Wait, do you have some kinky sex thing you haven't told me about?"

Silence.

"Wait what?!" I burst into laughter. "Please, Lawson. Do tell."

Silence.

"Miri?" I asked, still smiling. "Oh come on! Now you _have _to tell me! Come on babe, please?" When I was faced with silence, I grinned. "I'll tell Oriana-"

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"

"Wow." I chuckle, "somebody is pissed."

"Will you shut up?" Jane stops to look back at me and hisses. "I thought I heard something." As if on cue, there was a low growl, almost animal-like. The glass from above shatters and a dead body comes crashing down on the floor below just a few meters away. I catch up to my team and take point. _It's kinda cramped with all these containers. _I switched my Mattock rifle for my Eviscerator shotgun and install my warp ammo. I lean my head over cover and see a pack of Varren chomping at the body that had crashed bellow. _If there's a pack then..._

Just as I finished my trail of thought, a large Alpha Varren came in from a door on the opposite side of the room and began fighting with the rest of the four-legged animals, trying to claim the dead body for his own.

_Shit!_

"Think we can sneak past them and let them fight one another?" Jane whispers beside me.

I shrug my shoulders and whisper, "Maybe but with little room to maneuver around this area, I doubt it."

"You want to take an Alpha on?" Jack asks.

"Why not?" I shrug my shoulders once more. "We're certainly capable." I look at the drell, "Think you can snipe 'em from up on top of these containers?" Thane nodded and disappeared, heading towards the darkness. "The three of us will do what we do best. Ready?" Shepard nods and Jack readies by flaring her biotics in her clenched fists. I flare my own and form myself a protective barrier and do a strafing run, throwing a singularity down at the remaining pack of Varren that were still very much alive. Jack followed up with a shockwave that blasted the vicious animals towards the wall with bone-crunching force. Thane and Shepard had already taken a few shots at the big Varren before it was taken down hard by a point-blank shotgun blast from Jack. From where Jack was standing, she was in the middle of small barricades.

"This looks like some sort of arena." Jane stated as she along with Thane, joined us. Jack looked at her and nodded.

"That's right. They used to stage fights here. Pit me against the other kids. I loved it. It was the only time I was ever out of my cell."

"What were they studying?" Thane asked.

Jack shrugged her shoulders, "Hell if I know. Maybe it's how they got their kicks. Don't care either way. Let's keep going."

I led my team towards the door where the Alpha came in and we took a left. Another terminal stood nearby and I approached it, pressing play on the latest entry.

"Security Officer Zemkl, Teltin facility. The subjects are out of their cells! They are tearing this place apart. Subject Zero is going to get loose, I need permission to terminate. I repeat, permission to terminate!

Another officer in similar armor responded, "All subjects besides Zero are expendable. Keep Jack alive!"

Jack huffed and turned off the transmission. "That's not right. I broke out of that cell when the guards disappeared." The young biotic pointed a finger at herself, "_I _started that riot."

"You were only a kid. Things might have happened that you didn't see." Jane looks in pity.

Jack however, didn't welcome it. She shook her head and snarling, she said, "The other kids attacked me, the guards attacked me. The fucking automatic systems attacked me." She pointed an accusatory finger at Shepard, "That _doesn't _leave any room for interpretation."

"Simmer down Jack." I say softly. "lets continue on."

"Right."

We come across another door that leads downward. A half opened room and a Varren that have been shredded apart in a pile of smelly filth lies on the ground. "I thought they smelled bad on the outside."  
I say as I pinched my nose.

"That can't be. This place is supposed to be empty. Who the _fuck_ shot that Varren? It's a fresh kill."

"Could be the automated systems." Thane proposed.

"Could be. Let's be careful here." I order. "I want complete silence."

As we continued down the hall and another door we come across another atrium. This one fortunately, has some open space. A growling noise comes from the room but it's not from a Varren. "Hostiles." Thane whispers as he takes a shot at the growling Vorcha.

_Fuck I hate these annoying creatures. _A pyro flanks us from the side and I take out the gas tank on it's back with my Mattock rifle, causing him to blow into pieces.

"Try a real man's weapon." I hear a deep voice taunt us from the other side of the room.

I don't have to look at who it was. _A fucking Krogan._ I sigh. _Where is Grunt when you need him?_

"Blood Pack!" Jane announces the obvious before she unloads a whole clip into the thick armored Krogan. A combination of Vorcha pyros, snipers and soldiers poured in through the front door. Jane, Jack and I took care of them before we began getting overrun. Thane was in the middle of a fistfight with four Vorcha squad members, ducking and countering, smashing in the sharp teeth from the ugly bastard's mouth. I took the last kill, a sniper up on a balcony. His head split like a watermelon with a satisfying gush.

"Why'd they need a morgue? This is a small facility?" Jack said filled with confusion.

_Morgue? _Then it hit me. _We just had a firefight in a MORGUE!_ The room was filled with bodybags..._small bodybags._

"The other children must have died in great numbers. Even then, they were a part of an experiment." Thane said in retrospect.

"Bullshit! _I_ got the worst of it and _I _made it out alive!"

"Maybe there's more than meets the eye. Hmm?" I say to Jack who glares at me. I ignore the look and sigh and continue moving farther into facility, fighting more Varren along the way. After passing through another empty atrium we come back inside where we find another terminal. Jack stays close behind before I turn it on to access one of the entries.

"Entry 1054, Teltin Facility. The latest iteration of PergNim went poorly." The middle-aged balding man said with a sigh. "Subjects One, Four and Six died. No biotic change among the survivors." The scientist stood straighter and continued, "We lowered core temperatures of surviving subjects, but no beneficial reactions occurred. All subjects died due to the side effect. So we will _not_ try that on Zero."

"Bullshit!" Jack sneered, "They weren't experimenting on the other kids for _my_ safety!"

"This place was designed to build Jack into a super biotic." Miranda gasped and I agreed.

"I...I survived because I was tougher that the rest! That's who I AM!" Jack continued.

"And you moved on," I crossed my arms over my chest. "You turned into the woman you are today." I turn back to the terminal and played the next entry.

The same man came into view, this time looking much more paranoid and frightened than the previous entry. "It's all fallen to pieces. The subjects are rampaging, and Zero is loose. We're shutting down the facility...What a disaster. We'll piggyback onto the Alliance's Ascension program and -Wait! Zero, wait!"

"Charlie! They started somewhere else! We have to find them!" Jack said nervously.

"Jack, The Alliance Ascension program is a school for biotic kids." Shepard went over and gently touched Jack's shoulders. "They don't torture kids there."

"This...this isn't how I remember it!"

"You couldn't have known." Jane whispered.

"Fuck this." Jack shoves her off. "Let's keep going."

_Great...another atrium and more bad guys. _Three Krogans and eight Vorchas crowded the room. One of the Krogans, their leader from the looks of it, paces back and forth. "Hey Aresh, it's Kureck...Yeah, the intruders are here...You want them dead? Well, we are going to have to talk credits. Hey, you promised us lots of salvage, but this place is a waste."

"You know what you all could salvage?" I ask, resting my Mattock on my shoulders and giving the big guy a grin. "Your lives."

The big beast glares at me from afar, "Oh yeah? It's eleven on four! How could you possibly defeat us?"

My grin didn't falter. "Eleven? That's only foreplay. I took out Saren and his geth minions singlehandedly."

Jane cleared her throat and whispered, "Ummm...I'm right here."

"Shush!" I whisper back, gaining a pout from Shepard before turning back to Kureck. "So...what's it going to be?"

"You took out Saren?" The Krogan asked.

"That's right." I nod.

"Hmmm." Kureck grunts. "Hmph! Urdnot Wrex has told me great tales about you and a Commander Shepard."

"Wrex?" I stare blankly. _This is actually working? _"Uh Right! Yes! Wrex! H-he and I tagged along on our hunt for Saren. Speaking of Shepard, she is standing right beside me." I smiled as I nudged my shoulder with Jane's who grumbles.

"Really?" Kureck pushes a nearby krogan to the side and walks towards is.

"There's a Krogan coming towards us." Shepard whispers in my ear and holds my hand.

"Don't freak out." I whisper back.

Kureck stands before us, looking up and down at both Jane and I. The krogan looks back at a nearby Vorcha and calls him over. "Take a picture."

"What?" Jack, Shepard and I say in unison.

"Heh! It's not everytime I come across great warriors now is it?"

Shepard and I open our mouths to speak but nothing comes out.

"I...well- I don't...I guess you're right." I laugh nervously as the large krogan steps between Jane and I.

"Smile." The large krogan says enthusiastically as he wraps his log of an arm around Shepard's and my shoulder. A light flashes from the Vorcha's omni-tool. Once the Krogan steps away to look at the picture, Jane and I turn to each other.

'Did that just happen?' Shepard mouths and I simply shrug my shoulders.

"So...are we free to go?" Kureck asks and I find myself nodding, still looking dumbfounded. "Come on boys, let's go. We've had enough of this place."

"Well," Thane blinks, looking cautiously as the Blood Pack begins heading for the exit.

"That was the weirdest shit I have ever seen." Jack finishes.

"I agree." Jane nods.

"Well...G-good work!" Miranda clears her throat.

"It was all part of the plan." I grin, gently patting Jack and Shepard on the shoulder.

"Bullshit." Jack laughs but it soon disappears and nods towards the door on the other side of the room. "My room is just over there."

The four of us walk into Jack's room and finding it deserted. But according to Kureck, there's someone else in here. "Come out," I call out, "I know you're in here."

A young man with a receding hairline steps out from a stack of crates and fiddles with his hands as she looks at us with worry.

Jack flared her biotics and asked, "Who the fuck are you?"

"My name is Aresh and you're breaking into my home. I know you, _Subject Zero._ So many years have passed, and I thought I was the only survivor."

"My name is Jack! How do you know my name?"

Aresh smiled sadly. "We all knew who you were, Jack. They inflicted horrors on us so their experiment wouldn't kill you. _You_ were the question and I'm still looking for the answer."

"Why did you come back?" Thane asked.

"I hired those mercs you guys _disposed of, _ and took them here almost a solar year ago. We're rebuilding it...piece by piece. I'm going to find out what they knew. I'm reinstating the Teltin facility."

"I want a hole in the ground and he's trying to justify what happened by using it!" Jack yelled and pushed to the man towards the wall, pulling her Predator pistol from her hip and pointed it under Aresh's chin. "Tell me why I shouldn't smash your skull with my bullet."

I take two steps forwards and pull Jack back. "We could blow up the place but that still leaves him. What do you want to do with him?"

"That's easy." Jack grins and readies her gun.

"Just leave me here." Aresh pleads. "It's where I belong."

"This guy is a bloody lunatic." Miranda pipes in.

"Fuck that!" Jack flares her biotics and sends him a warp field. Aresh winces as he falls to the ground, resting on all fours.

"Jack wait," I interrupt, "Killing him won't help you. Stand down."

"Yes, it will!"

I flare my biotics and push her up against the wall. "I gave you an order!" I sneer. "Stand. The. Fuck. Down!"

Jack counters with biotics of her own, pushing me a few steps back. "THIS IS MY CALL! Don't tell me how to deal with my past!"

"Jack!" Shepard yells and I take her distraction and pull Aresh up and stand in front of him. "Not like this."

Jack growls and sneers. "Fine! Get out of here. GO!" Aresh runs away. "He...he's not worth chasing. None of this is."

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. "You did the right thing."

Jack shakes her head. "Yeah, whatever. I..." Jack takes a deep breath and looks down in defeat. L-let me take a look around."

"Fine go ahead. But hurry it up." I dial towards the bomb carriers that are waiting aboard the shuttle. "The pathway is clear. Bring in the bomb."

"Right away Commander."

"Commander?"

"What's up Lawson?" I step away from my squad.

"You think Jack would stay loyal to us?" Miranda asks.

"I don't see why not. We helped her get here."

"I hope you're right." Miranda sighs. "I can tell she will be trouble."

"Have a little faith, my love." I smiled as I looked at Jane and Jack, who stood next to each other. "She'll turn out alright."

"Okay," Jack says with a sad sigh, "let's get the fuck out of here."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Commander Alonso - Shepard's Quarters - 2300 hours**

"Hey, I appreciate your talk with Jack as she looked around her room." I smile as I sit next to Shepard on her bed.

"No problem. She's a troubled girl...I feel for her."

"Yeah," I frown. "Me too. In any event I was wondering if you wanted to continue building the Citadel stati-"

"Uh Charlie? Jack and Miranda are having...a heated discussion. You might want to head into the XO's office before they tear the bulkhead."

I roll my eyes. "Great. Thanks Joker, I'll deal with it." I give Shepard a sad smile and get up. "I'll talk to you later."

"Sure. Be careful."

"Take pictures!"

I rush down the halls, already hearing Jack's swearing. "TOUCH ME AND I WILL SMEAR THE WALL WITH YOU, BITCH!" Jack curses as I enter the XO's office. The young biotic sends one of the chairs towards Miranda's direction. Fortunately, Miranda being the biotic was able to block it and send it towards the wall.

"JACK!" I yell, adding onto the commotion. People outside are starting to gather in the mess hall. "THAT IS ENOUGH! STAND DOWN! Both of you!"

"Your little Cerberus fuck-toy won't admit what Cerberus did was wrong." Jack snarls.

"It wasn't Cerberus, not really. But _clearly, _you are a mistake!" Miranda retorts, leaning on her hip with cockiness.

"Fuck YOU!" Jack jabs her finger in Miranda's chest but the operative quickly swats it away. "You've got NO idea what they put me through. _Maybe, _it's time I show you."

I step forward, causing the door to shut behind me and say, "Our mission is too important to let personal feelings to get in the way."

"Fuck your feelings Charlie. I want this little bitch _dead._"

I step in front of Miranda and glare at Jack. "You both know what we're up against. Save your anger for the Collectors."

Miranda shoves me aside and stands toe-to-toe with Jack. "I can put aside my differences...until the mission is over."

Jack stays silent for a good five seconds, measuring my girlfriend. Finally, she huffs. "Sure. I'll do my part. I'd hate to see her _die_ before I get the chance to filet her _myself_!"

"I don't like my _team_ starting _fights_." I stare at Miranda.

She looks at me and glares, "You think _I _started it?"

"I don't care who started it, to be perfectly honest."

"Yeah, well it wasn't me!" Jack glares at Miranda.

"Just..." I pinched my nose, "just leave Jack alone alright?"

"Wh-Really? You're siding with her?" Miranda asks with disbelief, "She can't be trusted Chuck! She's unstable! She's jeopardizing our bloody mission!"

"Jack is doing just fine damn it! Maybe you should take a look at your own attitude!" I immediately regretted the words that came out of my mouth. _Fuck..._

"My thoughts exactly." Jack grins and makes her exit.

Hurtfully, Miranda spins around and heads towards the window that looks out into deep space

I swallow and step forward, "Miranda, I-"

"Don't speak to me." She snarls as she looks out the window. Her eyes glimmer as tears begin to fall down her cheeks.

"Miranda I didn't mean-"

"Did you not hear what I said? Get out." Miranda swallowed the lump on her throat and looked away.

_Stupid, stupid. _I curse at myself. "Are...are we okay?"

Miranda stares at me with anger and rage in her eyes for a few moments. She clenches her jaw before replying,"_Not even remotely._"

**Four days later...**

I sighed as I jabbed my food. It was lunch time at my soul fell empty. "Damn it." I breathed.

"You've been jabbing your lunch for almost a half an hour." Shepard sat beside me. She looked over at Miranda's office and touched my hand. "She hasn't come out?"

I shake my head slowly. "I fucked up."

"Yeah...you did." I give her a look and she laughs. "Just being honest. You should go talk to her."

"You think?" I frown. "I-I don't know."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Jane asks and for once, I stare at Miranda's office. It's got the same red locked door from four days ago. "Go."

I clear my throat and adjust my collar. I sit up and approach Miranda's office. I knock lightly twice but was met by silence. I look back at Shepard who gives me an encouraging smile. I take a deep breath and activate my omni-tool and hack Miranda's door. I squeeze in Lawson's quarters. She glares at me and clenches her jaw.

"I've got work to do, _Commander. _Go chat with your friend Jack if you want small talk."

"Stop acting like a child and GROW UP?"

Miranda lifts her eyes at me and her eyebrows lift in surprise. "Grow up? Is this your sad, pathetic apology?" She rolls her eyes and continues typing on her terminal. "Get out."

"Look, do you really think I wanted to take Jack's side? We need her okay? And we need her happy."

Miranda's fingers pause. "So taking Jack's side was just a front?"

I frown, walk around her desk and pull her towards her sofa in the back room. I sit her on my lap and caress her cheek. "Jack needs special attention, you know that. I can at least reason with you." I kiss her on the cheek. "I love you. I'm sorry I said those things to you."

"I...understand you needed to keep her loyal. Thanks for clearing that up Chuck. I...I should have known you were focused on the mission. Everytime I've got you figured out..."

"I'm still full of surprises." I grin.

"I forgive you. Just don't do that again."

"I won't. I'm sorry."

Miranda smiles and leans in to kiss me on the lips. The kiss develops into a lustily, hungry and almost angry kiss as Miranda pushes me down on the sofa. "So," I gasp for breath and a grin spreads across my lips, "tell me about the things you would do when you were lonely."

"Chuck?"

"Yes Miri?"

"Shut up."

I grin as Miri's lips begin leaning down towards me. "Is that an order?" I ask. "You do know what a captain does to those that boss him around, do you?"

Miranda purrs in my ear that sends shivers down my spine. "Mmm, I can't wait to find out."

"You won't have to wait any longer, my sexy little minx." I wink at my lover, who winks back and the two of us have the rest of the day to ourselves.


	22. First World Problems

**Hello ladies and gents**

**We've go Zaeed's loyalty mission in between Charlie and Miri's relationship...problems? Heh, I hope you guys like this chapter.**

**More 'Chuck' quotes inside :)**

**See you on the other side.**

* * *

**First World Problems**

**December 11, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - XO's Quarters - Miranda Lawson - 0700 hours**

I slowly stirred, hearing my alarm clock ring. Chuck began to stir as well but with a groan. He pulled me close and mumbled, "Too early!"

And I agreed. In one hand, I still had work to do, but the work was limited. In the other, I was comfortable in my boyfriend's arms. However, I continued to let the clock on my nightstand beep its annoying sound.

"Really Miri?" Charlie moaned and grabbed a knife from his boots that were on the ground and threw it at the omni-clock. I turned and glared at him. "What?"

"You enjoy destroying my property don't you?"

"Whatever. Go back to sleep." He ordered. I rolled my eyes but I burried my face happily into my boyfriend's neck. I breathed in his musky scent from last night and kissed his chin.

"Miri...not now." Chuck moaned. "Please..." I grinned as I gently bit down on his flesh. "I'm serious." He gently pulled away. "I'm tired. Can't we just talk?"

"Talk?" I tilt my head.

"Yeah you know, with our lips?"

"What's wrong?" I ask softly as I prop my head on the palm of my hand.

"N-nothing is wrong...it's just..." Chuck shakes his head and grunts, "all we've done recently is sex. Now I'm not complaining, you're amazing but..."

I nod, pursing my lips to the side. "I understand. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well...first things first, how's your sister?"

I smile dreamily and reply, "She's doing great. Though, she's a pest just like you."

"I'm a pest? Your words wound me." Chuck pouts adorably and I couldn't help but laugh. "I hope you're behaving...differently with your sister?"

"Differently?"

"Come on," my boyfriend rolls his eyes as I stare at him stoically. "you know what I mean."

"No. I don't actually." My smile falters. "Care to elaborate?"

"Well..." He clears his throat as I raise a brow, waiting for his response. "Yea-nevermind."

"Might as well add getting me angry to the list of things we do." I huff and turn around to look away from him

"Look, I didn-"

"-yes, 'you didn't mean it'" I make quotes with my fingers. "One of your bloody excuse."

"...Not everyone is perfect." Chuck tries to mumble it but I heard it as clear as ever. I turn around and glare at him.

"What the fuck is _that_ supposed to mean? You are seriously being a pain in the ass right now... I don't thi-"

"_Don't you dare!_" Chuck glares in return. "I'm trying here alright? Give me some SLACK!"

"Trying?" _You don't know the meaning of the word._ I say to myself with clenched fists. "Who stays up here twenty plus hours each day to do reports JUST because you're too bloody lazy to do it? Who has stayed here while I watch you play a cowboy down on the surface? ME! Who watches from their quarters worryingly while her boyfriend goes on missions? I do, damn it!"

"Yeah?" Chuck gets out of bed and grabs his briefs and puts them on. "Well it's your job to tell me if you want to come! But oh right, I'M supposed to know what you're thinking like some fucking psycho."

"Psychic-"

"WHATEVER!" Chuck begins pacing in front of my bed. I sit up, resting my back on the headboard, covering myself with the white sheets. "Stop god damn correcting me."

"Then use the correct terms you imbecile!" I yell, digging my nails into my palms.

"Imbecile? You're calling me an imbecile?" He asks incredulously as I begin to get into my clothes.

"That's right!" I've had enough. I stand from my bed and stand toe-to-toe with my egotistical boyfriend. "You are stupid and too cocky for your own good. You never listen to my suggestions, and you are DRIVING ME CRAZY!"

Despite everything, he starts laughing. If anything, it's getting me even angrier. "Go cry me a river." He grabs his things and makes his exit and I quickly follow after him.

"I would kill you right now if-"

"If what?" He pauses, turns around and jabs his right index finger on my chest. "TELL ME! I bet you can't think of a reason why you would. After all, I'm your stupid lab experiment." He inches forward until our noses are touching. "Tell the whole crew why you would kill me." I open my mouth but then I look over towards the two large tables of the mess. Garrus, Tali, Shepard, Kelly, Amanda, Gabby, Kenneth, Joker and various other members of the crew are staring at us. "That's what I thought." I look back at Chuck who suddenly has angry tears in his eyes. "You wouldn't do it even if I asked you to. I wish you did." And with that, he turns and walks away.

_What just happened? _"Chuck..." I begin chasing after him, only to be stopped by Shepard's gently hand.

"Give him a minute." She frowns, "he's having a hard time right now."

"What?" I ask as a tear slowly and agonizingly falls down my cheek. I wipe it away from its misery and look at her. _How does she know and I don't? _I curse at myself. _It's Shepard, that's why...but what does that make me? A nobody?_

"He misses his parents. He... he wants to be normal. To be done with this Collector bullshit. Charlie and I never signed up for this and it's finally taking its toll on him...you know, being revived and all. He's...not as strong as I am with dealing with this unfortunately."

"I'm so stupid." I sob..._How could I be so angry at him?_ "I'm sorry but I have to go see him."

Shepard gives me an encouraging nod and releases me. I quickly storm out of the mess hall, ignoring the stares from everyone and head into the elevator to take the ride up to my boyfriend's quarters. My heart feels like it's being smashed together in with an iron fist. Once the elevator opens, I am grateful that Chuck forgot to lock the door. I rush inside, finding him sitting on the ground in tears.

"Commander?" I say softly.

"Don't call me that. In fact, go away. I...I want to be alone." The hyperventilating sobs from my boyfriend is breaking my heart and is causing a lump in my throat that I can't seem to get rid of. I sniff as I kneel beside him. I reach out to touch his hand but he quickly recoils and holds himself. "Stop...please."

I finally muster the courage to open my lips to speak. "Chuck, I..."

"Don't say another _fucking_ word-"

"Damn it, stop pushing me away!" I slam my fist on the steel grated floor, causing him to flinch. "I just...I just want to talk."

"I think you said plenty." He said huskily, sitting up and looking away from me.

"Chuck..." I reach out and this time he doesn't pull away. I gently rest my chin on his left shoulder as I wrap my arms around his waist.

"I wish you weren't so smart. That way..." he pauses and looks down. "that way I wouldn't be here. You would have failed and I could have been lying six feet under next to my parents...in peace. I would have died and nobody would have cared."

"But Shepard cares. _I _care." I squeeze lovingly.

"What does Shepard need me for? She's got T'Soni. I'm sure I would have gotten in the way in their happiness. They don't need me around to 'pester' them like you so eloquently put it. And you?" He scoffs and shakes me off. "I was a nobody before I ever approached you at Flux and a nobody way before I met Shepard." Charlie slowly stands and sits on the edge of his bed, with his hands clasped together on his lap. He lifts his head and looks at me with saddened hazel eyes. "I didn't sign up for this. _Any_ of this. I don't deserve to be in the same sentence as Shepard and I _SURE_ as _HELL_ don't deserve you. I mean look at us... Look at _you? _What good have I ever done for you? I don't deserve to be anywhere near you. I..." He runs his hands through his dark brown hair. "I can't do this Miranda. I don't know what to do. I have nightmares every night I'm alone. Of Shepard being indoctrinated. Of...of you, dying and not being able to save you. I can't do this. I...I cant."

"You've done far more things that _anyone_ ever could have done for me!" I stand, only to walk over to him and kneel in front of him I reach to touch him again. _I needed him to know that I love him._

"Hmph! Yeah right." He looks away indignantly.

"I'm serious." I assure softly. "Look at me. Please?" Chuck slowly lifts his head to look at me in the eyes. I take a firm but tender hold of his cheeks and wipe his tears with my thumbs. "You have shown me what it is to feel loved by someone. You saw me through the...rough exterior and you made it your mission to get to know me; to show me how to use my heart instead of my mind. You love me unconditionally unlike anyone else before. You make me feel warm inside of me every time you look at me. You gave me my sister. You have saved me so many times I have already lost count. I don't think there is anyone else in this entire galaxy that makes me feel the way you do. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way."

"...Miri." The love of my life looks down. "Why? Why do this to me? Why torture yourself by loving a nobody like me?" he asks desperately. I frown but nonetheless, I kiss him fully on the lips.

"When you meet someone you care about...it's hard to walk away." I give him a loving smile. "Chuck, I love you."

"I...I just don't know what to do. I wish things were different."

"I know. So do I but we have to make the most of it by doing what's necessary."

Charlie laughs through his nose. "The philosophy card doesn't work so well in that catsuit of yours."

I roll my eyes but laugh. "Yes, well somebody has to do it."

"You'll make a terrific mother someday." He states matter-of-factly before looking up at me with piercing but loving eyes.

"And you'll be an amazing, loving father." I quickly add before he says something else. He simply shrugs and stands in front of his fishtank. I stand and resume the position minutes ago, this time, resting my chin on his right shoulder. "I wish I could show you just how special you are to me." I say softly as he stares at his school of fish.

"Maybe someday." He says a minute later. With a deep sigh, he wiggles around to face me. "I hope you will still love me when that time comes."

"Of course I will." I smile. I give him a kiss on the lips that are filled with longing. After we break it off, my smile turns to a playful grin. "That is, until the sex gets boring."

Charlie rolls his eyes and playfully shoves me back. "Me? Boring?" he scoffs, "speak for yourself."

"Commander," EDI's avatar appears behind my boyfriend. "Samara wishes to speak with you."

"Thank you EDI."

"Are you going to be alright?" I ask with a frown.

Charlie smiles and kisses me on the forehead. "I little bit. I just need some time to get my shit together?"

"Of course." I nod, "If you want to talk, I'm always available."

**December 12, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Cargo Hold - Commander Alonso - 1100 hours**

"Well its about bloody time!" Zaeed steps in, followed by Grunt, Garrus and Samara.

I just shrug. "We have better fish to fry." I turn to my shuttle pilot and order to take off. Once we landed, Zaeed took point, which was unwelcoming. _Just let him do his thing and get out of here. I promised Samara to head to Omega once we get back. _

As we walked further into the jungle, we could see the smoke from the refinery getting closer. Moments later, we heard gunshots and feint screams. _Shit. _"Come on!" I quickly regained command and let my team towards the refinery.

"Looks like this turned into an escape mission." Garrus ran in step with me.

"Watch your targets. Kill any Blue Suns but leave the refinery workers _alive!_"

As we approached the checkpoint, we came across Blue Suns mercs forcing civilians to kneel and readying them for execution. _Bastard!_ I sneer and I send a singularity above a mercs head, sucking up three other mercs nearby. Garrus, Samara and Grunt take out three while I explode the initial merc with a warp field. Zaeed snipes another soldier through its helmet.

"Everyone alright?" I ask the workers, who simply nod, too scared to talk. "Stay here okay? Find someplace to hide. Once we're done, we'll have someone pick you up." I look back at my team and urge them to hurry, as I could hear more gunshots not that far away.

Halfway through our walk, the gunshots cease. "That can't be good." Garrus says grimly.

"Perhaps they know we are here." Samara ponders.

A man speaks through the loudspeakers of the refinery as we were approaching the large blast-doors. "Squads Charlie, Delta. Mass on the gatehouse!"

As the large door opened, we saw twelve mercs on top of a balcony, with a cocky looking asshole in the middle. "Zaeed Massani." The blonde man grins while crossing his arms, "You finally tracked me down."

"Vido!" Zaeed growls as he aims his vindicator rifle at him.

Vido laughs, his arms still crossed, "Don't be stupid! I have a whole company of bloodthirsty bastards behind me, ready to kill or be killed on my command."

"So you ordered to kill people? Why!" I demanded an answer.

"Just because I can. I could even kill you, _Commander Alonso._ Yeah...I know who you are. Honestly, I admire your...ruthless actions in Elysium. But, since you're here with Massani, it would be a pleasure to kill you."

"I'd love to see you try." I glare, looking at Zaeed who simply nods. He aims his rifle and pulls the trigger. A metallic clank followed by small hiss.

Oblivious, Vido laughs again and grins. "What was that? Gone nearsighted, old friend?"

Everyone on my team, except Zaeed take cover as the old mercenary continues to aim his gun at the gas tank in behind the Blue Suns leader. "Burn you son of a bitch!" He pulls the trigger and the gas tank explodes, causing Vido, his merc friends and Zaeed to jump from the large explosion. Vido grunts and pulls himself up and snarls at Zaeed.

"You just signed your death warrant."

On cue, Blue Suns reinforcements showed up and began taking fire at us. Zaeed strafes for cover on the left side as we cover him. Garrus, Grunt, Samara and I each take down one before I look over at Zaeed and my eyes widened. "HEY!" I yell over the gunfire. Zaeed is bashing in a gas valve with the butt of his rifle "What the fuck are you doing?"

The valve breaks, causing an explosive chain reaction that climbs all the way up towards the balcony. The explosion burns the Blue Suns and sends large shrapnel in all directions.

"Opening the gate." Zaeed announces while checking his rifle. I storm towards him and shove him to the ground.

"Don't _EVER_ sacrifice lives for the sake of your mission."

"What do you suggest?" Zaeed stands and is in my face. "Wandering out in the jungle for hours? Looking for another bloody way in?" He jabs his finger on my chestplace as I continue to growl at him. "You want to waste our time, go ahead. I'm going to _kill_ Vido."

I clench my fist and wind back to punch him in the jaw, sending him back a few feet. "You are endangering lives _and_ mission for your pathetic selfish reasons. For revenge. You will fall in line and follow _my_ orders or I will kill you."

"You _really_ want to do this Alonso?"

"I've killed people for less."

"...Fine!" Zaeed yells seconds later. "But Vido dies, no matter what."

"Whatever." I wave my hand and shove him. "LETS GO!" I order as I reload my pistol.

"HELP!" I hear someone call from above. A refinery worker is standing above us on a catwalk. "We're trapped! We can't get to the gas valves to shut them off. The whole place is going to blow!"

"No time to help them" Zaeed says evenly. "Vido's probably halfway through the shuttle docks by now."

"Is that an _order_ I hear?" I look at Zaeed who shrugs his shoulder.

"Don't care. I'm not letting Vido get away. If he does, I'm blaming you."

"Care to do it on your own then? I'm taking my team to save these people. I don't care if you come with us or not." I jump over the railing and head towards the door just up ahead. My team, including Zaeed, who growls close behind. I hack into the doorway and go up the flight of steps. Dodging and running through explosions and steady fires along the way towards the control panel that will shut off the valves. We reach a room of thirty workers that are trapped in a room that is being filled with gas.

"Upstairs!" A middle-aged redhead coughs and points. "The control panel is upstairs! The door won't open until the fire is out!" I run along upstairs and find the panel that will extinguish the panel. Unfortunately, the controls are locked but, being a friend of Tali'Zorah, I was able to hack the controls with ease. _Glad I remembered the tech hackings back in the old Normandy. _I smile as the refinery workers escape the room and towards safety.

We continue to walk through a series of halls and through the blast door and out of the refinery. We see a Blue Suns fighter begins its ascent. The thrusters push me to the ground and Zaeed curses and begins shooting at the escaping fighter until his gun clicked empty. The heated thermal clips falls on the ground as he reloads his weapon. He turns and points his rifle at me. "You just cost me twenty years of _my _li-" A fire starts just behind him and another explosion causes a large steel beam shoots up into the air and comes crashing down on Zaeed. The old merc's foot gets stuck under it and he yells in pain.

"Oh...are you hurt?" I ask sarcastically as I walk closer to him.

"Shut up and get me out of here."

"Now you need my help?" I scoff. "You put your revenge ahead of my mission. You could have killed all of us. How could I possibly trust you?"

"I've survived this long watching my own back. I have no time to worry about anyone else."

I point my eviscerator shotgun at his face. "That's not how this works. You're part of a team Zaeed. There's no way we can do this unless we're all in this together." I raise my shotgun and rest it on my shoulder and wait for him. "So what's it going to be?"

Zaeed growls but nods after a long pause. "You have a point, Alonso. I'm not done with Vido. But I can put it behind me long enough to get your mission done. I'll do everything I can for us to succeed." I look over at Samara who helps me lift the large metal beam from his leg. Grunt walks over to us and pulls Zaeed to his feet.

"Kodiak, this is Alonso. We're ready for pickup."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Cargo Bay - Commander Alonso - 1200 hours**

"Joker, set a course for Omega." I order as I step out of the shuttle.

"You got it. We should be there in thirteen hours." Joker acknowledged.

"There was hardly a fight Commander." Grunt says as my team squeezes into the elevator.

I grin and slap him in his exposed bicep. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find some trouble soon enough." Grunt grins in return before the elevator door opens and the Krogan and Zaeed make their exits. Garrus presses deck three.

"Garrus, how are you feeling?" I ask just before the door closes and begins its ascent.

"Better actually." Garrus leans on the wall and nods. "Thanks for helping Shepard and I with our problem."

"Hey, I'm glad I could help. That's what friends do."

Garrus nods and exits from the elevator.

I look at Samara who looks expressionless as ever. "We'll get her Samara." I reassure. "Though, there's something that is troubling."

"What is it?" She asks as I follow her to her quarters in Starboard Observation.

"Morinth knows who I am. If she sees either of us, I'm afraid she'll escape again." I sit on one of the leather benches in her room as Samara stands in front of the glass room, looking out into the vast darkness.

"...I agree. How do you propose we proceed?"

"Shepard could help. I don't want to risk her getting involved with someone like Morinth but we don't have many options. She has a strong mind, I can assure you."

"Very well. If you think she can help, I would appreciate this."

I smile and touch her shoulder encouragingly. "I'll go talk to Shepard."

I leave Samara to her meditations and walk towards the mess hall, finding Shepard and Kasumi talking with one another. I walk over to the fridge and pull a juice box before walking back to the two ladies. "Hey guys." Shepard smiles at me while Kasumi grins and places her chin on her hands.

"Hey Commander." The thief smiles. I arch my brow in response. "I hear you and Miranda are getting married?"

"What? Married? Who told you that?"

"Oh..." Kasumi waves her hand through the air. "Just what I heard."

"Well, I can assure you that we aren't getting married." I huff and cross my arms. "We...we haven't really talked about it."

"Would you?" Jane asks.

"That's none of your business." I mock-glare.

"Alright, alright." Jane rolls her eyes. "You never give me anything." Kasumi giggles and excuses herself.

"Shepard, we need to talk. Privately."

Shepard nods and we go into her quarters. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...well, not really. We're heading to Omega right now and I need a favor from you. Well, it's Samara who needs the help. One of her daughters is at the station and we need to kill her."

"Kill her? Why?"

"She's an Ardat-Yakshi, Jane. She kills her mates."

"And you want me to help by...what exactly?" Jane crosses her arms and leans into her hip.

"Samara and I still need to sort out the details but we need your help." I plead. "We're talking about saving people here. Morinth knows my face and she would disappear before I could ever lay my hands on her. Look, I wouldn't ask you if this was important. I need you."

"Okay." Jane says softly and smiles. "I'll help you and the justicar."

I smile and hug her. "Thanks. I'll brief you once Samara and I spend some time planning."

"Commander Alonso, Operative Lawson wishes to speak with you."

I sigh and frown. "Thanks EDI. I'll be right there. I'll see you around Jane."

"Go get em Tiger." Jane winks. I roll my eyes and make my way towards Miranda's office.

"You rang?" I asked concerned as I find Miranda pacing back and forth.

"Sit." She orders and I comply.

"You're angry. What's wrong?"

"I'm not angry."

"Alright." I breath. "Well you certainly aren't happy." Miranda stops pacing to glare at me. "Sorry."

Miranda's features soften and she sits across my lap. "Look, about earlier."

"Stop." I urge. "We don't need to go back to that. You're happy, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm happy." I caress her pale cheek.

"I don't believe you." She says with a frown.

"Look, if someone were to tell me when I was fifteen that I would find happiness with someone, I would say they were crazy. Miri, for the past two years, we've been through it all. We've been through fights, literally in some cases." Miranda and I share a grin. "We've driven each other crazy but we've also shown one another just how much we feel about each other. I can safely say that you're one of a kind and that you make me happy. I want you. I'm trying to help us last...and I want us to last forever."

"You're such a sap." Miranda leans in to kiss me on the lips, which I gladly and willingly returned. "I can't believe I fell for one."

"Your knight in shining armor." I grin.

"Don't get cocky."

"Whatever you say princess." I grin and carry her to her bed. We both crash into the soft bed and we wrap our arms into each other. "You ever wonder what life would be if we hadn't met?" I ask minutes later.

"Occasionally."

"And?"

"I would probably be working in some small space station, doing lab work. You?"

"Probably working with Shepard doing God knows what. Killing batarians, mercs...blowing up Cerberus facilities." I grin, gaining a sigh from my girlfriend.

"And I would be using my charms to get away."

"Oh? Aren't you cocky Miss Lawson." I laugh and squeeze her tightly and we lay quietly.

"Chuck?"

"Hmm?" I hum as my eyes slowly begin to close.

"Would...would you have fallen in love?"

I open my eyes and look deeply into her eyes. "No. I know I would've never found happiness."

"What about Shepard?"

"Shepard?" I frowned. "Never. She's been like a sister to me. I love her, yes but never like that."

"And Chief Williams?"

"No. Hello no." _Fuck her._ Miranda opened her mouth to say something but hesitated. "What is it?" I ask.

"It's nothing." Miranda shakes her head.

"Hey," I whisper softly, "you can tell me."

"I-It's nothing. I promise. Let's just go to bed." Miranda turns away but backs into me. I frown at Miri's hesitation to talk to me but I don't press further. I breathe deeply and wrap my arms around her. "Wh-what do you think of marriage?" She asks finally minutes later.

"M-marriage?" _Damn it, way to put me on the spot._ "I..." I sigh deeply and sit up on the bed. Miranda shortly follows. I stare at my left hand, more importantly my ring finger. _Would I even be alive to get married?_ "I never really thought about it until recently."

"Recently?" I turn my head to face Miranda who is looking down at her own hand with a frown on her face.

"Have you ever thought of getting married?" I ask.

"I...was never in the place to decide that. Quite honestly, I think its stupid."

"Oh..." I frown and look down at my hand. "I see." After another sigh, I say, "Yeah, I think it's silly as well. Who needs some jewelry to let each other know how people feel...right?"

"Exactly."

_Figures. It was too much to hope that I could tie the knot with Miranda Lawson. _"I'll uhh...I'll let you go back to work, excuse me." I quickly leave Miranda's office and head up to my cabin to change into my gym clothes and grab a sleeveless hoddie before heading back down to deck three. I find Kelly, Amanda, Tali, Garrus and Shepard in the gym, handling various equipment in the room. I pull the hoddie over my head and head towards the back of the gym, ignoring everyone. I bind my hands with tape and begin jabbing the punching bag.

"Hey Charl-"

"I'd like to be alone right now, Jane. Sorry." I say in a low voice as I intensify my punches.

"What happened?" Shepard asks with concern in her voice.

"Nothing."

"Charlie, talk to me."

I flare my biotics in frustration and punch a hole through the bag. I hear everyone pause and I look around to see that everyone is looking at me. "This place is too crowded. I'm out of here."

"Charlie-" I see Tali's hands reaching out to me from the corner of my eyes.

"Don't _follow_ me Tali. Not right now." I grab my bag and make my exit.

To find a place I could be alone and away from everyone.

* * *

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**Until next time, where we return to the slums of Omega.**


	23. Ardat-Yakshi

**Ardat-Yakshi**

**December 13, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Cargo Bay - Commander Shepard - 0600 hours**

After taking a quick shower, I came to look for my friend. I went up to his cabin but found it empty. EDI informed me that Charlie never made it upstairs and that he had slept in the cargo bay with bottles of booze. The cargo bay was dark. I look up and see that the lights have been shattered and cargo containers lied everywhere. Even the Kodiak shuttle suffered slight damages on the left side. I find Charlie unconscious inside the shuttle, holding an empty bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy close to his body, as if cradling an infant. I kneel next to him and gently gave him a shake to wake him up. His eyes flutter open and he sadly smiles at me.

"What time is it?" He says drowsily as he rubs his eyes.

"Six in the morning."

"So we're docked?" I nod in response, gaining an exhausted sigh. "Thanks for waking me. You're excused."

"Charlie...talk to me."

"I'm fine." He shrugs me off. He stands and stretches. "I just know where Miranda and I stand for the future."

"What do you mean?" I frown.

"We both agreed that marriage...isn't...for us."

_Oh God...Charlie..._"I'm sorry."

"I'm alright." Charlie frowns, "I have to go get some more drinks before I go talk to Samara. The buzz is going away." I sit and stare at the fifty empty bottles of that are on the floor. _Geez, I remember when he used to get wasted with just six. I miss the old him._ I sigh and stand, not standing the sight of the kodiak's state. I slowly walk towards my quarters and dial Liara. _I hope she's awake. _A few seconds go by before Liara's beautiful face appears on my terminal's screen.

"Good afternoon Shepard." Liara smiles at me, causing me to smile in return despite my overall mood.

"Hey Liara. It's actually morning where I am. We're at Omega right now."

"Oh, right. I knew that."

"I'm sure you did baby." I wink. "How's the search going?"

Liara's smile disappears and turns to a frown. "Still nothing." Liara rubs her forehead and shakes her head. "This is just a wild duck chase."

I giggle and correct my lover. "Wild _goose_ chase." When I see Liara's cheeks turn into a light shade of purple, I smile dreamily. "Gosh, you're so cute. I miss you."

"I miss you too Shepard. How's the Normandy?" Liara asks.

"Good I guess. Charlie on the other hand...he's having women problems." I frown. "I don't know what to do with those two. Everytime they make up, they're fighting again."

"Maybe that's how they show they care?" Liara shrugs her shoulders.

"Charlie doesn't deserve to suffer through this relationship. I know he loves her but I just found him in our shuttle with fifty empty bottles of alcohol."

"Goddess..."

"Tell me about it."

"Would you like me to talk to him?" Liara offers. "Maybe I could help."

Liara's words makes me smile. "I appreciate that babe, really. But I don't think he would listen or share. He doesn't even want to talk to me."

"Okay." Liara nods and gives me an encouraging smile. "Let me know if I could be of any help."

"Oh, what can you tell me about Ardat-Yakshi?" I ask with a cautious voice. Liara gasps and stares wide eyed, as if wondering about how I ever came across of the word. "Charlie and Samara are hunting one down...and need my help."

"Absolutely _not_ Shepard!" Liara scolds, "I won't allow you to help in such a matter. It's too dangerous!"

I jump at my lover's tone and frown, "But-"

"NO! Ardat-Yakshi are some of the most dangerous killers of the galaxy. They influence you into doing their wishes. Their nervous system is so strong that when they finish their meld, they leave you an empty shell...brain dead. I won't lose you again Shepard." Liara's voice softened at the end.

"You won't."

"You don't know that Shepard." Liara frowns. "What if something happens?"

"Charlie and Samara won't let anything bad happen to me. You trust them, don't you?"

With some hesitation, she nods slowly. "I don't like this Shepard. Not _one_ bit. You _will_ call me right away as soon as you three are done. I love you."

"Love you too and I will."

**Omega - Afterlife - Commander Alonso - 0900 hours**

"Aria." I cross my arms over my chest as the Queen of Omega stared over her patrons in her club.

"Commander," she began nonchalantly as she continued to stare at her people, "I should thank you for your discovery of the plans to overthrow me. When those fuckers try their little attempt, my men will be ready."

"Glad I could help." I grin as Aria turns to face Samara and I. Aria looked up and down at my master before sitting down on her leather sofa.

"What can I do for you, Justicar?" Aria asks as she crosses one leg over the other.

"We need to find someone. Someone who has been here for the last several weeks. She goes by the name of Morinth." Samara places her hands behind her back as she waits for an answer.

"She's an Ardat-Yakshi." I add, to which Aria growls at.

"I knew it. _Nothing_, leaves a body quite so...empty... as an Ardat-Yakshi does."

"You have not taken steps to kill her?" Samara asks, sounding baffled.

Aria shrugs her shoulders and non-committal voice, she says, "Why should I? She's hasn't tried to seduce me. Her last victim was a young girl. Pretty little thing." I cringe at the realization that Morinth has already struck on Omega. "Lived in the tenants near here. That's where I'd start looking."

"Thanks for the info." I nod, a gesture that Aria oddly returns.

"Good luck finding her. Better luck catching her."

_I'll probably need it._

_**Six years ago...**_

"What do we have here?" I ask an asari detective as my master and I entered the crime scene. The room smelled of Morinth. The room was neatly cleaned and organized with Thessian art. Large, beautiful paintings decorated the white walls, violet vases sat on top of small woodened furniture scattered throughout the room, all of them containing large, beautiful yellow asari flowers. On the far side, a large slide-door overlooked the grassy fields with the city of Armali in the distance. A young asari lied naked on the bed. I frowned as I stood at the edge of the bed, the white facial markings hovered just above her eyes, resembling small dotted eyebrows. A thin white line traveled from the top of her forehead and went to the back of her 'tentacles'. _She was beautiful. _Certainly Morinth's type.

"No signs of struggle, sir. Nothing appears to be stolen and definitely no signs of forced entry. Her victims name is unknown at this time." The detective, T'Mei, looked down at the report on her datapad.

"This is Morinth's work." Samara said calmly as she walked around the medium-sized bedroom. I looked at my master with a saddened look on my face. I have been with Samara for almost a year here on Thessia and her coldness has been something that has been hard getting used to. She's a great teacher and has been patient with me but the confident posterior has been a challenge for me. I look back at the Jane Doe and my frown deepens. "Any witnesses?"

"Nobody has come forth with any information," T'Mei frowns as well. "I will let you and the Justicar know immediately when we have any new updates."

"Thank you detective." I bow before heading over to Samara, who opens the glass-window and steps out of the house and into the grassy plains. "Are you alright?"

Samara stares out on the horizon and I find myself doing the same. The curving architecture of Armali's buildings is truly stunning. How the bright orange sun hits the outer walls, creating a euphoric sight. The smell of grass invades my nose as a slight summer-like breeze hits my face. _This place is a thousand times better than N training in Brazil. _I turn back into the bedroom and see other asari officers talking in a small group. One looks at me and blushes before talking with one of the asari in the huddle. _Plus the inhabitants are nice to look at. _I wink at the blushing asari when she looks back at me, making her blush even more.

"Are you listening little one?"

"What?" I turn to face Samara and shake my head. "Sorry."

"I was saying that we must find her."

"Don't worry Samara. We'll find her. I promise."

**One week later...**

"Move out of the way!" I ran down one of the populated markets, chasing the asari bitch. Morinth looked back at me and taunted as she flowed between the crowded markets.

"Come on _Staff Lieutenant_! You're too slow!"

"Get back here you bitch!" I push another asari out of the way and into a fruit stand. "Sorry!" I look back and give an apologetic frown to the asari that had been drenched in water in a small fountain.

"Charles? Where is she?" Samara asks through the comms.

"We're heading towards the residential district! I'm right on her ta-FUCK I lost her."

"You what?"

"I lost her!" I look around frantically for the Ardat-Yakshi. "Son of a bitch! I had her in my sights!"

"She mustn't have gone far. Find her."

After minutes of searching, I see her a hundred yards away grinning at me before running off. I resume my chase and she leads me into some apartment complexes. She runs up a flight of stairs and heads inside one of the rooms. "Samara, she's inside a room in an apartment complex. I'm heading inside."

I draw out my Karpov IX pistol and cautiously head up the stairs. I hug the wall of the third floor and begin my approach. I take a deep breath and punch the door controls and head in. "Freeze!"

I find Morinth sitting next to a human male, running her hands through his hair. "Who's this guy?" The man asks in a monotone voice.

"Someone who wants to do mean things to me." Morinth pouts. She kisses the man's pale cheeks. "He wants to hurt me. You'll protect me, won't you baby?"

"Anything you want." He slurs.

"Of course you will." Morinth grins before turning to me. "Goodbye Lieutenant. It's a shame my mother is the one protecting you. You look so delicious." She licks her lips and stands. I growl and aim my gun at her.

"I wouldn't do that." The man stands and looks off to the side. Another female points her gun at me and I sigh inwardly.

_Shit... _"She's got you too?" I growl.

"She loves me." The brunette smiles while Morinth walks towards us.

"That I do." Morinth grins and kisses the woman on the lips. "You'll do anything for me."

"I will."

Morinth looks at me before looking back at the young human woman. "Destroy him. I'll leave you three alone. I need your keys to your car."

"Dresser." The brunette replies instantly.

"Thank you, love. I'll never forget this." Morinth kisses the woman before kissing the man and heading out, leaving me alone with the unexpected company.

"You two are idiot-"

"Shut up!" They say in unison. "She loves us."

"You two are delusional." My eyes furrow with hate for Morinth.

"I said SHUT UP! You're just jealous you can't have her." The woman presses her gun's muzzle deeper into my forehead.

"I'm coming." Samara says through the comms. Seconds later, she storms in and reaves the male and shoots him with her Kovalyov X assault rifle while I twist the woman's arms to disarm her. I knocked her out with the butt of her pistol. I straddle her back and place the unconscious woman's arms behind her back.

"She's gone." I tell Samara the obvious.

"...I know." I look down at the man who had a bullet hole on the back of his head.

"It's my fault." I look at the unconscious woman before I stand over her. "She won't ever be the same will she?"

"She will not."

I frown and aim the woman's gun at her. "I'm sorry."

**Present Day**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Briefing Room - Commander Alonso - 0945 hours**

After Shepard, Samara and I visited Morinth's latest victim's home, a teenager named Nef, we stood around the table of the conference room as we looked at pictures of Nef and Morinth.

"I'm a little concerned doing this Charlie." Jane fiddles with her hands as we replay the journal entries from Nef's personal terminal. "This asari is dangerous." Shepard rests her hands on the table and looks worried.

I frown and walk to stand next to her and hold one of her hands. "I understand this Jane, really. But we don't have any other choice. We've been through this many times. Samara and I will be right there with you."

"I-I trust the both of you. I'm just nervous." Jane frowns as the holographic image turns to a picture of Morinth.

"I'm not going to let her touch you. Okay?" I whisper and she turns to me fully and holds me.

"Okay." She whispers back and I pull back from the embrace and give her a heartwarming smile. "So, what's the plan?" Jane asks.

"Nef mentioned going to the VIP club of afterlife by dropping Jaruut's name and she met Morinth there." I began. "It's possible that she's finding her next victims there. She'll be cautious so you're going to have to draw her out somehow."

"Any suggestions?" Jane turned to Samara.

Samara began to pace the room like water as she began to explain. "You'll go inside of the club alone. Morinth will be watching. Like the Commander said; Morinth, like any predator, she is cautious. You must peak her interests enough that she will approach you. She admires strength, directness, and vigor. Modesty, chivalry, or meekness frustrate and bore her. Violence, art, music and drugs excite her. You are a master and an artist on the battlefield, Shepard. She'll like that. Courage or suicidal bravery could attract her. Hurt someone in defense and she will be excited. Pick a fight and she'll be bored. Show skill at working smoothly through a nightclub and she'll be intrigued. Morinth speaks to you on so many levels. Her body tells you that she'll bring an unimaginable extasy. Her scent evokes emotions long hidden. Her eyes promise you things you were always scared to ask of another. Her voice whispers you even after she is done speaking."

"She'll want you the second she sees you, Jane. Nef also mentioned that Morinth likes to take Hallex, a drug that induces heightened senses and causes extreme euphoria. A vid called Vaenia, a vid that I have-" I pause and feel my cheeks starting to burn. "Nevermind." I clear my throat and continue. "Morinth also likes the elcor artist, Forta."

"Where will you two be?" Jane asks as she nervously bites her lip.

"We'll be in the darkest shadows of the club." Samara replies.

"You'll be okay." I reassure her with a smile. "Just go in with civy clothes and unarmed?"

"Unarmed?" Jane shakes her head. "I need protection Charlie."

"You have us." I console her by grabbing her hands and give them a light squeeze. "I'll be in constant contact with you. We'll guide you through the club."

Shepard takes a deep breath and nods. "Okay, lets do this. I'm gonna go to my quarters and change into something."

"Shepard," Samara interrupts before Jane takes her leave. "I must thank you. I do not share this burden so easily. It took me months to open up to Charles. You two are the only people I trust with this."

Jane smiles sadly and nods. "No problem. I'm glad I could help."

**Afterlife - VIP Club - Commander Shepard - 1200 hours**

_This is stupid. Why did I agree to do this? _I take the first steps into the club, the quick thumping of the music's base is slower than my heart rate. I look around the club and take a deep breath. _No signs of Morinth...or Charlie and Samara._

"Shepard, you copy?" Charlie whispers in my earpiece.

"Yeah..." my voice quivers.

"I'm right here okay?" He says softly. "There's a turian harassing an asari dancer near the dancefloor. I'd check it out."

I look and see a turian dancer reaching his hands around the asari's back. I calm myself and approach them.

The dancer pushes the turian patron and yells, "Back off asshole! I'm a dancer not a hooker."

The turian, who I now clearly see is drunk, begins to laugh. "You got a mouth on you!" he points a finger at the asari dancer. "I'll enjoy watching you use it."

"Hey!" I interrupt. "The lady asked you to back off."

The turian turns to me and glares. "Who the hell are you? You want some of this? I don't care if it's you or this bitch. I just like good times." The turian smacks his fists together and comes after me.

He swings his right but being drunk he easily misses and I counter with a jab to the gut. The turian grunts and tries to hit me again. I lean back to dodge his attack and connect with an uppercut that sends him flying up in the air a few feet. For good measure I do a roundhouse kick that sends him back sliding across the floor. _That felt good! _I smile a toothy grin._ I think I got this!_

"Thanks for that sweetie." The dancer smiles appreciatively before giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Security was asleep." The asari winks and walks of.

"Well, look at you, you stud!" Charlie laughs softly.

"Jealous?" I grin as I head towards a dancing asari. "Hey, wanna dance?"

"Shepard, you're not going to dance are you?" Charlie asks worryingly through the comms. "Back. Away. From. The. Asari. NOW!" He hisses.

I frown and give an apologetic look at the asari and walk off of the dancefloor. "You never let me have the dancefloor."

"That's because I know you can't dance!"

"That's not true." I frown as head over to the bar.

"Do you want me to play you the time where you embarrassed yourself in front of the captain back in Brazil? I have the vid recorded on my omni-tool you know!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I can dance!" I signal the bartender for a round of drinks.

"Cannot!"

"Can too."

"Cannot!"

"Will you two focus on the task at hand?" Samara says over our voices.

Charlie and I both huff in response before I take a shot of liquid, feeling the burn traveling down my throat. I hear another huff nearby. I look to my right and see a Krogan glaring his yellow eyes at me.

"I guess they'll let anybody in here now. No standards anymore."

I shake my head and grin. "Care to back that up lizard brain? We go out in the alley, only _one_ of us comes back inside."

The Krogan attempts to have a staredown with me but seconds later he concedes and leaves, hearing him mumble, "Damn humans."

I order another drink before an asari in black leathered armor slides next to me. Her pale features resembles her mother. "Hey," she licks her lips as she measures me. "My name is Morinth. I've been watching you. I've got a booth in the shadows." She inches closer and places her hands in my hair and whispers, "why don't you come and join me."

I nod wordlessly before following her to her booth.

"Stay calm Shepard. I'm right here." Charlie says to me encouragingly.

As I sit across from Morinth, I try to act comfortably and casual. I stare at Morinth as she pours a drink in two glasses. "Sometimes I sit here and there's no one to talk to. Sometimes, there's just one other person. Tonight," She takes a sip of her drink and I watch her throat flex as the liquid travels down her slim neck. "it's you. Why is that?"

I look up at her extremely light blue eyes and reply in a husky tone. "You and I want the same things."

"Do we?" Morinth smiles and I return it with one of my own.

"What do you think of the music here?"

"Dark rhythms, violent pulses. It stirs something in me. What about you?"

I huff and stand straighter. "You wouldn't have heard of anything I like."

"You think my in music is shallow." She states matter of factly, rather than being a question.

I shrug my shoulders and take the drink Morinth poured. "It's all just different tastes. Nobody's choices are better."

"Hmm. You seem to be a woman with strong opinions."

After finishing the glass, I wipe the corner of my mouth with my tongue and I shrug my shoulders. "Maybe."

"You can lose yourself in the music here. There are always ways to enhance it. You know?"

"Like Hallex?"

Morith grins devilishly and nods. "It slithers through my soul. It seems like we share some interests."

I nod in return. "I've traveled all over the galaxy."

"It changes you, doesn't it?"

"She likes the danger, Shepard. Remember that." Samara reminds me.

"Real travel means going to dangerous places." I take another sip, finishing the glass.

"Where you can see and do things most people can imagine."

"Exactly." I grin.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Morinth proposes after she licks her lips again. "My apartment is nearby. I want you alone."

"I can't wait." I grin as I slide off of the booth.

"Me niether." Morinth wraps and arm over my waists and leads me outside of the club.

**Minutes later...**

"Have a seat. I'll get us something to drink." Morinth sways her hips over to the kitchen. I bit my bottom lips as I watch her before the static of my earpiece interrupts me. I sit on the couch and wait for Morinth to return. I look around her living room, noticing various pieces such as a Krogan statue, a samurai sword and a revenant assault rifle.

"I love clubs. The people, the movement, the heat." Morinth hands me a glass of wine and sits on the adjacent sofa. "I can still hear the base in my head, like the drums of a great hunt that is out for blood. But here, it's muted and you're safe. Is that what you want?"

"I'd rather fight and hide."

Morinth smiles faintly and scoots over to sit next to me, "Yes. Better take control of your own fate. I've never understood the fascination of safety. Some of us choose differently." She runs her hands down my arm and I feel the slight tingle of her touch. She looks down at my exposed legs and guides her fingers up and down, causing me to moan lightly. "Independence over submission. I think we share that you and I."

"I...I think so too." I close my eyes as I feel a warm hand slowly inch closer and closer between my legs. I bite the inside of my cheek hard as I feel her warmth. _I want her._

"Open your eyes and look at me." I do as command, only to see her eyes turn black. "Tell me you want me. Tell me you'd kill for me. Anything I want."

Something inside of me tells me to fight. I don't want to. Then I feel something strange before an image pops into my head and I have control over my urges. "Don't...count on it."

"But you...Who are you?" Morinth's eyes turn to her normal shades and glares. "Oh...I see what's going on. That bitch and her pet found another helper. How cute."

As if on cue, Charlie and Samara walk into the room. "I wouldn't go out that window if I were you. We have a couple of snipers ready to kill." Charlie grins as Samara flares her biotics and rams Morinth up against the wall. "Come on." Charlie gently grabs my wrists and pulls me back and stands in front of me in a protective posture.

"Mother." Morinth grunts before Samara intensifies her biotic attacks.

"Do not call me that!"

"I can't choose to stop being you daughter, _Mother_!"

"You made that choice long ago!"

Morinth breaks free from her mother's biotics and screams, "What choice! My only crime was being born with the gifts _you _gave me!" Morinth's wraps herself with biotics and lifts some of the furniture in the room and launches a couch towards Samara, who didn't see it coming and falls to the ground.

Samara throws her daughter up towards the ceiling, causing Morinth's biotics to fail. "Enough!" The Justicar yells. The two asari stand and at the same time begin to go into a battle of 'who is the strongest' with their biotics.

"I am the _genetic destiny_ of the asari! But they are not ready to reveal this, so I must die!" Morinth snarls as she gathers every bit of strength into her powers.

Samara, who is doing the same, but looking rather calm unlike her daughter says, "You are a disease to be purged!" She shakes her head in disbelief, "Nothing more!"

"Shepard!" Morinth calls me out. "I am as strong as she is, let me help your team!"

"Don't listen to her Jane." Charlie whispers to me. "She'll kill you, me and Liara if she'd get the chance."

Charlie steps forward and flares his biotics and throws Morinth towards the wall sending her to the wall with a thump. "Time for you to die." He looks at Samara who calmly walks over to her daughter.

"And they called me a monster." Morinth says before Charlie warps her.

"Shut up!"

Samara steps over her daughter and grabs her by the neck with her right as her left is filled with biotic energy. "Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess." Samara smashes her daughters face, killing her instantly.

The room is dead silent for a moment. I watch as Samara's biotics slowly wither and die, looking down at her daughter. Charlie looks solemn look on his face, watching Morinth's body as well.

"I am ready to leave this place and get on with my life." Samara says sadly as she slowly backs away from her fallen daughter.

"Are you alright?" Charlie and I ask in unison.

"...What do you want me to say? What can I say? I just killed the bravest and smartest of my daughters. There are no words. I will try another time but for now, show mercy on a broken warrior and let us leave."

"Let's go." Charlie nods and extends a hand, which Samara takes. "It's over master. Finally."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Crew Deck - Commander Alonso - 1300 hours**

I stand in front of Samara's quarters, fighting with myself if I should even go in. _She killed her daughter. _Even though she was a killer, I'm sure it's been very difficult these last centuries for my master. She's been through a lot. She gave her freedom just so she could kill Morinth. I sigh and look down and then turn the other way. _I'll leave her alone for awhile. _I head up to the bridge in the CIC and just stand there as I watch the Normandy going in FTL speeds.

"Commander." Joker says softly. "I'm sorry for Samara."

"She's been through a lot." I breathe out. "I couldn't have been easy for her."

"How's Shepard?" Joker asks.

"Better than expected. She and I talked with Liara as soon as we came aboard. I...got into a bit of trouble." I scratch my shoulder and laugh softly. "I deserved it but I had no one else I could trust with this."

"Not even your _girlfriend_?" Joker grins as he turns his chair around to face me.

"I'd be very careful if I were you Joker." I cross my arms over my chest and give him a mock-glare. "She could be listening in if you continue that trail of thought. You wouldn't like her when she's angry."

"Does she turn green?"

"No but given your condition, she would love hearing your bones snap." My glare turns into a grin when I hear Joker gulp and turn his chair around.

"Arriving at Tuchanka by mid-day tomorrow, Charlie." Joker clears his throat and appears to be busy, swiping his flight controls.

"Carry on." I smile and head up to my quarters and change into my Cerberus uniform.

I lie down on the bed and go through my laptop terminal. The door opens and Jane comes in, wrapped in a blanket.

"Hey." I smile at her.

"I can't sleep."

"It's only one in the afternoon." I giggle as Jane joins me on the bed. "You alright?" I ask as Jane presses her body as close to mine as possible. I place my terminal to the side and hold Jane.

"Pretty shitty thing to ask, don't you think? She tried to kill me."

"But she didn't." I caress Shepard's cheek. "I was right there, just like I said I would. I'll always take care of you."

Shepard frowns and rests her head on my chest. I brush her hair to comfort her. "She touched me." Shepard sobs while gripping me tighter. "Her hands roamed up and down my leg and I wanted her. The way she licked her lips and her eyes looked at me. It...I almost..."

"Shhh." I tried soothing. A guilt spread through my heart. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you."

"You had to." Jane cried. "Don't blame yourself. Please."

"You said almost?"

Jane chuckled and wiped her tears away. "I thought of Liara and how pissed off she would be that I would die from an Ardat-Yakshi."

I laughed along with Shepard and kissed her forehead. "She would get pissed." I look up the skylight, watching blue hues of the ship's FTL speed covering the white dots of space. "She's changed, hasn't she?"

"She has but I still love her."

"I'm glad." I smile. "I don't see you with anyone else, Shepard."

"I'm gonna go get some sleep." Shepard smiled at me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm perfect." I smile. "Get some sleep. I'm gonna go make my rounds and I'll come right back."

* * *

**I apologize for the slight delay. I've been busy with stuff.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.**

**Thanks to those that have followed, favorited me or this story. Love you guys. Thanks to BlueMarlin for your review :)**

**I want to take the time now and say farewell to Mister Robin Sachs, the voice of Zaeed Massani. (I'm glad I didn't kill him off last chapter)**

**Anyways, please review and let me know what you guys thought. **

**Until next time.**


	24. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

**God, finally! I got a brand new chapter in for you guys!**

**Apologies for the long delay. I hope I can get back into the swing of things :)**

**Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave a review!**

**Until next time!**

* * *

**Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde**

**December 14, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Crew Deck - Commander Alonso - 1500 hours**

"Samara?" I step into her quarters and observe my teacher standing, watching the planet of Tuchanka getting closer and closer. She turns and subtly smiles at me.

"Charles. How are you?"

"Fine and you?"

"I will manage. You do not need to grieve for me."

"I know...but you don't want to talk about it?"

Samara turns back to face the bright orange planet. "Morinth haunted my dreams and waking hours equally." She looked down and with a saddened voice, she continued. "For the first time in 400 years, I am free...I am a ruined vessel of sorrow and regret but nonetheless, I am free. It...is not a feeling I can describe."

"Morinth was a monster but she was still your flesh and blood. Your daughter." I walk to stand side by side with her, looking out at the Krogan homeworld.

"She was the strongest and smartest. She would not accept the injustice thrust upon her. She fought til the end. I am proud of her."

"What...What will you do now that one of your daughters has passed?" I ask, turning to her and observe her features; saddened, but hopeful.

"Assuming I survive the mission? I am a Justicar, Charles. Injustice still exists...and perhaps other Ardat-Yakshi."

We share a comfortable silence that I will always welcome and cherish. "If you need help, let me know." I smile. "I'll help you no matter where I am in the galaxy."

"I will, Commander. Thank you. For everything you've done for me. You've been a really good friend."

"You have been a great teacher..." I blush and look down at the metallic floor. "I never really had a mother...and I hold you dear to my heart. I consider you to be my mother. I am proud to have met someone as great as you, master." Samara and I exchange smiles before I give her a hug, which she gladly returns. "We'll talk later."

Feeling better that Samara is okay, I head towards my lover's office, finding her in brand new attire. "Wow." I stare in admiration as Miranda is putting on a black catsuit with a small patch of orange mesh on her right hip. She turns to look at me and poses, placing her left hand on her hip. "You look amazing in black." I smile as I approach my girlfriend who stares at me with a predatory grin. I circle around her, biting my lip as my eyes wander down to her ass. I purr. "Trying to impress someone?"

"Perhaps." Miranda wraps her arms around my neck while I place my hands on her hips.

"I'm jealous." I wink at her. "Must be a lucky guy."

"Oh, you have no idea."

"Charlie?" Shepard interrupts just as Miranda's lips begin to brush against mine. We grunt with frustration before we turn to Jane, who is standing in the archway of the door. "We gotta go."

I nod, turning to head out, only to pause to look at my disappointed girlfriend. "You coming Lawson?" Miranda's small frown turns to a grin before giving me a nod. "Get armed. We'll meet you downstairs."

I reach Mordin, Thane, Garrus, Tali and Jack through the comms and tell them to suit up and head towards the shuttle.

"You don't want to bring our Krogan into this?" Miranda asks she's the last to step inside the shuttle.

"_Our_ Krogan? Since when has Grunt ever been yours? If I remember correctly, it was _me_ who let him loose and _you_ were the one that wanted no part of him." I grin. "Has the cold, Miranda Lawson taken fancy to our cute tankbred Krogan?"

"Please." Miri scoffs. "Forget I said anything. Take us out."

"As you wish princess." I laugh and turn to our pilot. "Take us out."

**Ten minutes later...**

"Well, this is quite the beautiful scenery." Shepard says as she steps out of the shuttle, taking in the coarse sand and destroyed rubble of our landing pad. A large ray of beam enters through a hole in the wall, shining down over the shuttle. The heavy dust particles fill the air, making the planet seem...well...

"More like a piece of shit." I say with a frown. Krogan soldiers with their pet Varren stare at us as we step out, growling once they see Mordin in our group.

"They certainly are friendly." Shepard says behind me, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Let's go." I order, passing through a growling group of Blood Pack Krogans.

"Stop right there, human." A krogan in white armor with his two buddies block our path that would lead us into a stretch of halls. "The clan leader wants to speak to you."

"What is this, Aria part deux?" I mutter under my breath after I nod and carry on, with the group following close behind. We hear a couple of Krogans nearby, causing Garrus to be a little nervous.

"Someday we'll get off this rock and show those Turians who's boss!"

"Yeah!" The other Krogan responds, "Tear their scales off and let the pyjaks feast on them while their still alive!" The two talkative Krogan bump their fists together and share a menacing laugh before the notice Garrus walking next to me. The Krogans give Garrus a menacing smirk, causing Garrus to swallow hard.

"You're not scared of two Krogans, are you Garrus?" I grin.

"It certainly isn't manly enough for a certain someone we know." Shepard adds, nudging Tali with her shoulder.

"Why is it that everyone thinks Vakarian and I have something?" Tali asks.

Shepard and I share looks before we shrug our shoulders simultaneously. "Just an observation."

"And those salarians too!" One of the Krogans yells just enough so we can hear as we had already passed them. "Those little bastards think they're so smart. They needed us to fight the rachni though didn't they? Couldn't take us in a fair fight. Had to use diseases. That's a gutless way to win."

Mordin audibly gulps as well, seeing him quicken the pace. "Must hurry if want to get back...alive."

"Urdnot clan reports use weak encryption. I see references of a captured salarian in the logs of the chief scout." EDI reports through the safety of the Normandy standing in orbit.

"Good. Talk to scout, then. Or chief. Either one acceptable." Mordin nods.

"This place has seen better days." Garrus quips as we approach the chief. "Wait, is that-"

"Shepard!" Wrex stands from a throne made of boulders and stretches his arms enthusiastically before he comes down to hug Jane in a bear hug. I watch, snickering as Jane's eyes bulge as her breath is being sucked out from our former squadmate.

"Easy there, Wrex. You're gonna suck the life outta her. I don't think my ship's XO will be willing to do the same she did to me." I laugh as Wrex gently puts Jane down on the floor.

Wrex turns to me and nods. "Good to see you too, Alonso. It's been awhile. You look good...for a dead man. Heh! The benefits of a redundant nervous system no doubt."

I nervously laugh and scratch my shoulder, "Erm, yeah humans...don't have that."

"Hmm, then it must've painful. But you're standing here so you must have done something right."

Without thinking, I turn to Miri and give her a smile. "I guess so." Miranda's cheeks turn a light shade of pink before she stands straighter.

"What are you doing here anyways?" Shepard asks.

"I'm the leader of all Krogan." Jane, Garrus and I stare at him with shock. "I returned here after our hunt for Saren. I have begun uniting all of the clans under Urdnot."

"Must have been a pain in the ass to get such power." I say to our Krogan friend as he goes to seat on his throne pile. "Anyways, I'm here on business. There's word of a salarian here on your homeworld. Last we heard, he was captured by the Blood Pack."

"My scout commander could direct you. He's over by the shooting range, probably doing some target practice. Don't take too much of his time, I need constant watch on the other clans."

"Looks like Wrex is up to some scheming." Shepard grins and crosses her arms over her chest-plate.

"We are making neutral grounds where all clans are welcome. Fertile females can be shared among other clans. We will strengthen our race as a whole."

"But how do you keep control of so many clans?" Shepard presses, her interests piqued.

"Any clan willing to send hostages can come in. No fightings inside the camp and each clan punishes its own criminals. We stop conflicts before anyone dies. Then we present a simple choice. Pay a fine or your clan is no longer welcome."

"That seems reasonable for Krogan standards." Jane nods.

"We'll talk later Wrex." I say with a nod. I turn to my team and say, "Let's go, people!"

**Twenty minutes later...**

"Harvester!"

"Everyone off the Tonka!" Shepard yells.

I sigh and shake my head as I step out after her. _It's Tomka, you dummy._

The large, dragon-looking bug flies over us and drops dozens of Klixen down on us. We spread and take cover from the insect's fire-breathing attacks. I reach for my Mattock and install an armor-piercing mod and begin shooting at one of the bug's thick hide. _Tough son's of bitches._ I grit as I reload and continue to empty the brand new clip onto the large bug before it finally goes down.

"We gotta team up against them or we're going to be here forever." I order. Everyone acknowledges by teaming up with one another. I team up with Tali as she sends an attack drone while shooting the Klixen with her heavy pistol. The drone and my rifle do most of the damage, causing the large bug to explode.

Tali and I move onto team up with Garrus and Thane to take on two Klixen that are trying to flank them. Tali sends her attack and defense drones near Garrus' position. I send a bundle of warp fields and shotgun rounds towards the screeching animals. They stumble heavily towards the ground and I send a singularity field that slowly lifts the Klixen off of the ground.

"Jack!" I yell as I send another singularity field at Mordin and Shepard's target. Jack turns to face me then looks at the two dark energy bubbles in the air. Acknowledging by flaring her biotics, she sends a warp field and a shockwave simultaneously that sends the three Klixen meters up in the air.

"We've got one more!" I say before Mordin cryo freezes the final Klixen and Miranda slams it into pieces. "Good job everyone."

"I am picking up life signs underground, Commander." Joker informs me through the comms. I walk around the corner and see a large blast door that was protected by Blood Pack.

_Hmm... _"Alright," I sighed. _We need some sort of surprise attack. _"Any ideas?" I looked around at my team for ideas.

Shepard nodded. "I was just thin-"

"I DO!" Kasumi fizzled out of nowhere with beamed a smile as everyone jumped in surprise.

"Wh-H-how did you-I...What?" I frowned. _When did she get inside the shuttle?_

"I could easily take down three Vorchas before they would even notice I'm there." Kasumi smirks and -adds, "If all of you were the bad guys..." I began to glare at her as Shepard growled. "I'll just stop there."

"Best decision you've made yet." Shepard rolls her eyes. "Do whatever you have to do."

"Who put you in charge?" Miranda glares at the brunette soldier.

I sigh internally. _Here we go._

Shepard simply shrugs her shoulders. "Someone has to take charge."

"If anyone is taking charge it's the Normandy's CO or XO."

"Jesus Christ, Cheerleader, shut the fuck up!" Jack covers her ears. "Your voice is so fucking annoying!"

"Nobody gave you permission to talk, _Jack!_" Miranda switches her glare towards the bald biotic.

_I'm not dealing with this. _I turn to face Thane, Mordin, Kasumi, Garrus and Tali. Without saying a word and simply by the look of my disinterest as Jane, Miranda and Jack keep arguing to themselves, the five nod silently. Kasumi disappears and as she promised, takes down three Vorcha pyros before a Krogan notices her. Kasumi disappears just in time before the Blood Pack Krogan could take a shot at her. Kasumi reappears beside me as a collective group, we take down our enemies slowly but surely. A well-oiled machine of biotic, tech, close-quarters and weapon firepower was too much for the Bloodpack and their squad of pet Varren.

By the time we finished, I could hear the shouts of Miranda, Jack and Shepard, still arguing and this time about my capabilities as a boyfriend. I quickly turn back and glare at the three women. "Hey!" I shout and if I wasn't so upset, I would have laughed by how comically they quickly stopped shouting and turned to face me. "Will you three stop? Why is it always you three! I'm sick and tired of hearing you argue with one another. Do l have to bring Kelly into this because I'm sure she'll love it-"

"NO!" The three reply in unison.

"Then STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!" Tali walks over to me and gently rests her hand on my shoulder. In a quieter tone, I finish, "Fall back in line or I'll send you all back to the Normandy." Miranda was the first walk towards me while Jane and Jack slowly walked over and rejoined the group.

"I apologize, Commander but clearly, it's not my fault." Miranda huffs as we walk inside the underground facility.

"Yeah, well I don't care but I would expect more professionalism. _Especially_ from you."

"This place looks like shit." Jack snarls, still fuming from whatever childish fight she had with Miranda and Shepard.

"Repurposed Krogan medical facility. Sturdy to withstand punishment." Mordin adds.

"Hospitals are _never_ fun to fight through." Garrus deadpans, gaining a raised eyebrow from Shepard and a curious look from Tali.

"And what is fun to fight through, Vakarian. Hmm?" Tali asks in her innocent voice.

"Gardens, electronic shops. Antique stores but only if they're classy." Garrus looks off as if daydreaming.

"Dark nightclubs are a great source of fights." Thane quickly offers, which I somewhat agree with.

"Space stations are great too." Jack adds. "Blew up a bunch a few years ago. Hah, good times."

Miranda and I roll our eyes but we look at each other and grin before saying in unison, "Small apartments."

Shepard was about to respond when a horrid smell of rotten flesh invaded our nostrils. The group, except for Tali, groaned and coughed as we reached the origin of the smell. A human. Mordin walks over and kneels to turn on his omni-tool and scans the dead male.

"Sores. Tumors. Decomposition. Ligatures showing restraint at wrists and ankles. Repeated injection sites." Mordin explains. "Test subject. Victim of experimentation." He concludes his hypothesis.

"Is it contagious?" Kasumi asks.

The scientist shakes his head, "No. Appears to be cultivation of cancerous cells, aggravated by torture and malnourishment. Probably testing vectors to attack genophage."

"Any ID on the bastard?" I cross my arms over my chest, gaining some stares from some of the humans.

"No tattoos or ID. Maybe slave or prisoner. Maybe merc or pirate. Irrelevant now." Mordin replies.

"Well at least he's dead."

"That's a very harsh thing to say, Charlie." Shepard frowns.

I turn to her and simply shrug my shoulders. "He could've been a slave like Mordin said. I don't know about you, but I prefer to die then be some slave. I'd probably turn into a Jack." I finish with a grin.

"Asshole." Jack glares.

Miranda kneels and begins scans of her own. "I'm picking up signs of genetic alteration."

"Yes." Mordin nods when he checks it on his own omni-tool, "Humans useful as test subject. Genetically diverse. Enables exploration of treatment modalities. Never used humans myself. Disgusting, unethical. Sloppy!" Mordin shakes his head in disgust. "Used by brutes force researchers, not thinkers. No place in proper science!"

"We still need to find your protégé." I press and Miranda and Mordin stand.

"Yes, let's continue."

We walk deeper and lower into the medical facility, where we finally come across another blast door. It opens and we stand in a large rectangular room. Medical dispensers are place around the corners of the room and tall concrete tables are placed in the middle. On the right side, a ramp inclines to a catwalk that leads to what appears to be another room. Before we can proceed three Krogans with grey and charcoal armor approach us, looking down on us from the catwalk.

The one in grey roars, "I am the leader of Clan Weyrloc, offworlders. You have shed our blood. By right, you should be dead already. But I am giving you the chance to flee and spread the message of our coming."

I tilt my head to the side and grin. "If I flee, I might trip over the Krogan we destroyed to get in here. Eh, I think I'll take my chances."

"You killed the weakest and youngest, _human._ They were not worthy of remaining near our glorious work." He points his thumb behind him, "Inside, you will find only hardened Blood Pack warriors! Tempered by savagery and war and dedicated to one goal! The Salarian will cure the genophage and Clan Weyrloc will spread across the galaxy in a sea of blood!"

"Hmm...This is problematic." Mordin frowns. "Appears they have discovered Maelon's work."

"If you and your clan want to survive another hour, you'll hand Maelon to us, _Krogan._" I glare. "NOW!"

"When we cure the genophage, Clan Weyrloc will rule ALL Krogan. The Krogan rebellion will become the Krogan Empire. The surviving races will frighten their children with tales of what the Blood Pack did to the Turians! The Asari will _scream_ as their Citadel plunges into the sun! We will enslave the Salarians and eat..."

I groan and roll my eyes and block out the Krogan's speech. My eyes fall just below the blabbering Krogan and my brows lift in surprise. _How convenient! A gas tank!_ I grab my Predator pistol and aim it at the tank. "You talk too much!" I pull the trigger and the bullet punctures a hole into the tank. The three Krogan jump and the Clan Leader instinctively reaches for his own pistol, only to laugh.

"Ha! See?" The Krogan holsters his gun. The Two in charcoal hear the hiss and cautiously step backwards. "The Human can't even hit a simple target...Hmmm?" The Krogan looks down at the tank with a tilt of the head.

Keeping my gun aimed at the tank, my grin grows. "The _heat_ is on and you need to _lighten_ up!" I pull the trigger once more and a tank explodes, engulfing the babbling Krogan in flames.

"Were the puns necessary?" Jane rolls her eyes.

I turn to her and smile. "Always." I turn back and stare at the wailing Krogan and smile as the Krogan flails around. "Stop. Drop and roll!" I yell but it's too late. The Krogan falls dead. _I wonder what Krogan tastes like_. I shrug my shoulders and look at the other two Krogan. "Who's next?"

"Uhh..." One turns to the other. "You go."

"Me? You go! I'm not dying for some Salarian."

"Well, I'm not either!"

I laugh, causing the two Krogans to turn and face me. "Why don't you two head back and join Clan Urdnot."

"Good idea!" The two Krogan nod and flee back the way we came.

"And that, _Shepard, _is how you handle things." I stand proudly.

Jane rolls her eyes and pushes me aside, "Whatever. Let's go."

We go up the ramp and past another door, and walk into a large, narrow room. This time, there are small rooms, six on each side. _Possibly a medical room. _Nearby I hear more grunts. I gesture with my hands to order everyone to kneel. I look around and corner and sigh internally. _More Krogan._ _Damn, if only Amanda were here._ I grab the dagger from my boot and look at Kasumi, who nods and cloaks. I wait a few seconds and see a Krogan that was huddled with a large group wander off. _Bingo._ I silently make my way towards the opposite wall. I take another peak towards the large group of Krogans before sneaking into the room where the lone Krogan went. _Heh! That was eas- _"Uff!" I bump into the Krogan's back and fall on my ass.

"Hmm?"

_Oh shit._

"Hey! Who are-" The Krogan is silenced with a large blade going up his chin.

"What was that?" Shepard asks as a series of growls begin emanating nearby.

"Ummm...you know my attempt at being quiet and sneaky? Uhh yeah...that...didn't work out so well so...attack?" I chuckle nervously and scratch my shoulder while I hear Miranda and Shepard groan. The fight proves to be a difficult one as we have limited space to move around with. Jack, Miranda and I are able to turn the tide of the battle and slowly destroy the Blood Pack. "Clear and scan these rooms!" I order and our large group spreads out into small teams.

"Find anything?" Miranda asks me once she finishes checking the room.

"Just some random notes. Nothing important." I log off from the terminal and face her. "Look, I don't like seeing you argue with Shep-"

Miranda holds her hand up to stop me and frowns. "I know and I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me. I'm mostly angry at Jack. She infuriates me to no end."

"Are you two going to be a problem?"

"She's nothing I can't handle."

"That's not what I'm asking Miri."

Miranda sighs and scratches her shoulder and looks down at the floor. "I won't do anything...I promise."

_Liar._ I sigh internally but give Miranda a light smile.

"Commander," Mordin calls us over in a saddened voice, "better come take a look at this."

"Shall we, sweetheart?" I wink at my girlfriend, gaining a mocking glare in response. She was about to make her exit when I grab her hand and pull her up against the wall, kissing her passionately along the way. Our tongues dance together for almost a minute before we have to break our longing, passionate kiss.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Miranda breathes heavily.

"I needed that." I sneak in one quick kiss before I whisper in her ear, "There's more where that came from...if you behave."

Miranda humms and bites my ear, causing me to whimper with desire. "I don't think you're in a position to make threats, _Commander._"

"L-looks like I have to make...erm better threats."

"Oh, for crying out loud! Can't you two keep your hands off one another?" Shepard stands by the doorway, looking at us with a deadly glare.

"Apparently not." Miranda and I blush.

"Follow me, now." Shepard huffs and leaves.

"We'll continue this later, Commander." Miranda seductively winks at me and follows Shepard.

"I can't wait." I grin and follow my girlfriend close behind.

**Krogan Medical Facility - Commander Shepard - 1400 hours**

I rejoined the group and was followed by Miranda and Charlie, who bumps into the raven-haired woman. "Oh, heh! Sorry I got...distracted."

Miranda looks over her shoulder and winks at Charlie and I groan in disgust. "Get a room."

"We had one, until you 'Joker'd' us."

"'Joker'd'?" I tilt my head in confusion. "What's that?"

"Oh come on!" Charlie says shockingly, "Don't tell me you don't know."

"I'm afraid I don't." I narrow my eyes suspiciously at my best friend. "Do I even want to know?"

Charlie sighs and explains. "You know, when Joker conveniently interrupts something that we are occupied with? I'm sure he's done that with you and blue. Thats what 'Joker'd' is. Anyways, what do we got Mordin?"

"Dead Krogan. Female." Mordin begins as he reads the information on a data-pad nearby. "Tumors indicate experimentation. No restraint marks. Volunteer." I begin to frown as I watch the Salarian doctor looks at the poor Krogan on the bed, covered with a white blanket. "Sterile Weyrloc female willing to risk procedures. Hoped for cure. Pointless." Mordin shakes his head in disappointment. "Pointless waste of life."

"I didn't expect you to be this disturbed by the sight of a dead Krogan." I said softly.

Mordin is taken back and narrows his eyes at me. "What? Why? Because of Genophage work? Irrelavent. No, causative! I never experimented on live Krogan. Never killed with medicine. Her death not my work, only reaction to it. Goal was to stabilize population. Never wanted this. Can see it logically...but still unnecessary. Hate to see it."

"You didn't see the Krogan just sit and accept this do you?" Garrus asks, looking at the dead body with sadness and horror.

Mordin continues to look at the dead body for a moment before shaking his head a minute later. "No...but still unpleasant to see." The salarian slowly waves his hand over the dead body and begins reciting a prayer. "Rest, young mother...Find your gods. Find someplace better."

"As horrific as this is," Charlie begins, "a sterility plague is not any better."

"Had to be done, Commander." Mordin defends, "Rachni Wars, Krogan Rebellions all pointed to Krogan aggression. So many simulations. Effects of Krogan population increase. All pointed to war. Extinction. Genophage or Genocide. Save galaxy from Krogan. Save Krogan from galaxy."

I nod, fiding some of the logic. "Still, your people could have cured the plague. It certainly would have made the Krogans happy."

"This one could have lived if the Genophage was cured, Mordin." Charlie says. "I assume this is the only one we've found?" I nod in response. "Imagine how many Krogan females have come forth and volunteered for this madness. Imagine how many deaths there are because of this. What if other clans have tried and failed miserably. All those females died for nothing and we're here stuck talking about this when we can stop this from happening to more females."

"Right." Mordin nods. "Let's continue."

"There are light heat signatures in a large room to the left and a feint your right." EDI informs.

"Thanks EDI. Let's check the right door." The door opens and there is an unarmored Krogan sitting with his knees touching his chest.

"You killed the Blood Pack guards?" The Krogan asks.

"Not Blood Pack. Wrong clan markings." Mordin states.

"I'm an Urdnot scout. Weyrloc guards got me and brought me here."

"I overheard a chief scout asking about a lost scout." I say to the team. I scratch the back of my head before addressing the Krogan. "The road is clear so you can go back to camp."

The scout shakes his head. "I can't. They did things to me. Drugs. Injections. Said I was sacrificing for the good of all Krogan. Have to stay."

Mordin clears his throat to grab my attention and whispers. "Patient unstable. Brainwashed."

Meanwhile, Charlie asked him something and the Krogan was in the middle of talking. "...Wasn't strong enough, not good enough. This is the best I can do. This is all I can do. I'm not big enough to have a shot with the females. But if I help undo the genophage, then I mattered!"

"Millions of children will be born under Clan Weyrloc. They are going to destroy the other clans." I step forward and kneel in front of the scout.

"But-No! They said I was helping Urdnot!"

"If you want to help Urdnot, you need to get back there. But it would take a real badass to make it back to camp while injured."

"I...I can do it."

"You?" I scoff. _God I sound like Miranda. _I grimace internally but quickly shake it off. "I said a badass, not some scout whining like a Quarian with a tummy-ache."

"Wh-I'm right here!" Tali growls.

_Oh...oops!_

"I can do it!" The Krogan begins to stand. I grin and stand face-to-face with the Krogan. "I'm up and I'm going to the female camp!"

I punch the scout on his chest, and pounds his fists together. "Damn right you are! Get back there and show them what you're worth!"

"Raaaah!" The Krogan flexes his muscles and belches a loud roar and marches back the way we came.

"Nicely done, Jane." Charlie smiles.

I turn to face Tali and blush. "Sorry about that. It just came out."

"I understand." Tali leans on her hip but nods.

"According to EDI, Maelon is just beyond that door." I say.

"Yeah, let go then. I'm getting tired...and hungry." Charlie sighs and turns towards the door up ahead.

My stomach begins to grumble as if making a point. I frown and quickly catch up. The door opens and we see a lone Salarian standing in front of a large screen, swiping commands.

"Maelon." Mordin says with a hint of confusion. "Alive. Unharmed. No signs of restraint. No evidence of torture. Don't understant."

Maelon huffs and turns. "For such a smart man, Professor, you've always had trouble seeing evidence that disagreed with your preconceptions. How long will it take for you to admit that I chose to be here?"

"Contact said you were taken by Blood Pack. But why? Never argued with necessity of genophage."

"How was a supposed to argue with the great Professor _Mordin Solus_. I was your student! I looked up to you!" Maelon shouts.

Mordin shakes his head. "Experiments performed here. Live subjects! Torture and executions. Your doing?"

"We've already have the blood of millions on our hands, Doctor. If it takes a bit more to put things right, I can deal with it."

_Geez. _"You honestly think the experiments you did here was justified?" I let my anger show.

"We committed cultural genocide! Nothing I do will _ever_ be justified. The experiments were monstrous because that's how I was taught."

"Never taught you this Maelon."

"We tried to play god and we failed. We only made things worse. Look at what happened at the Citadel, Eden Prime, and the reports of lost human colonists. We were wrong about the Krogan and I am going to save them!"

"Why work with Clan Weyrloc? And how did you get the genophage data?" I asked.

"The data was easy to obtain as we still had clearance. All I had to do was ask. As for the Clan, they were committed and had the resources to the project. Urdnot Wrex was too soft and he wouldn't go with the plan."

"While I agree that the genophage shouldn't exist," Charlie begins, "what you did here is unethical. You experimented, tortured live subjects and left them to die. That's not how this should be fixed." He turned to Mordin and asked, "What do you want to do Doc?"

"Have to end this." Mordin declares and Maelon pulls a gun at us.

"You can't face the truth can you? Can't admit that your brilliant mind led you to commit an atrocity!"

Mordin is quick enough to lunge forward and punch Maelon in the face and disarm him. "Unacceptable experiments. Unacceptable goals. Won't change. No choice. Have to kill you."

"Wait!" Charlie and I say in unison.

"You don't have to do that, Doc. You're not a murderer." Charlie slowly inches closer and lowers Maelon's gun in Mordin's hands.

"No...Not murderer. Thank you, Alonso." Mordin backs away while Maelon breathes a sigh of relief.

_He got off easy._ I say to myself.

"Finished, Maelon. Get out. No Weyrloc left. Project over."

"I'd leave before the Professor changes his mind." I glare at the Salarian who nods and leaves.

"But...The Krogan didn't deserve what happened to them, Professor. The genophage has to end!"

"Yes..." Mordin pauses for a moment as he looks at the large amount of data being displayed on the screen. "but not like this." Mordin stays quiet as he continues to look at the data. After Maelon has long gone, he finally speaks. "Should have killed him. Wanted to. Easier than listening."

"How close was he to developing the cure?" Charlie asks.

"Would take time. Months. Years. Uncertain. But..results show promise."

"Keep the data." Charlie and I say in unison.

"Agreed. Capturing data. Wiping local copy." The terminal beeps and chirps before the data disappears. "Better than starting from scratch. But Collectors come first. Ready to go. Anywhere else. Maybe somewhere sunny. And has seashells." Mordin turns and smiles weakly.

Charlie laughs and nods. "Alright. Let's go home."


	25. The Rite of Passage

**Hello ladies and gents!**

**Hope everyone had a great week since the last update.**

**Anyways, we continue with Grunt's mission. I changed the ending of the mission a little bit so I hope you like it.**

**We start this chapter with some angsty/death and a little foreshadowing so yeah keep that in mind.**

**Oh and to Sun-Tsu Toriden's latest review: I added an extra sentence to the end of the last chapter. I forgot to do that as I did my last edit. It's not really important but it helps Mordin's 'somewhere sunny' quote as yes, Tuchanka _is_ sunny :p**

**See you guys on the other side!**

* * *

**The Rite of Passage**

**December 15, 2185**

**Commander Alonso**

_I walk around, searching around in the night's sky. I am thankful that a full moon lights up the ground around me. At least a little. I could hear distant gunfire and see starfighters flying over destroyed skyscrapers above me. The rumble of the engines causes the dust to blind my eyes temporarily. Then I hear a loud, trumpeting noise off of the distance. Followed by another. And another. I heard ten in total and at different distances._

_'I gotta get out of these buildings' I say to myself and I holster my Mattock and grab my Eviscerator and activate the flashlight attachment on the gun._

_'Where's my team? Where's Shepard? Where's Miranda?' My brows furrow as I try and search for an exit out of these buildings. I walk for ten minutes in the dark maze before I am finally out where I finally see where I am..._

_Earth._

_Or at least what is left of the city of Paris. The Eifel Tower is smoking in the distance and is sliced in half. Vehicles are left burning on the ground. Bodies are scattered everywhere. I walk around for ten minutes and I am met with similar scenes until I stop and freeze. I stare in horror and I fall on my knees and crouch down at the sight of a tiny body that is faced down. I gently turn the small figure over and see the little girl's face. 'No more than eight.' I bring her up to hold her tight and begin rocking her body back and forth, letting my tears fall down my cheeks._

_'What happened? Why? Who is this girl? Where are her parents?' I repeat to myself over and over again. I pull the little girl's face away from my chest and brush aside her long, silky black hair from her face. My thumb brushes her now-pale cheeks._

_"NOOO!" I hear a scream. I avert my eyes from the beautiful girl and look towards the voice's direction. There stands Miranda Lawson and she runs over to me. "Let go of her!" She kneels down and grabs the small child and shoves me away. Miranda convulses into tears as she holds the girl, rocking her back and forth. I stare and watch, at a loss of words when I realize who the little girl is._

_"Emma! Please wake up." Miranda weeps as she brushes our daughter's face. "Baby, you have to wake up! Please!" I look down at my hand and see a gold ring covered with blood. I look back up and see a gun on my face. I look at the slender arm that is holding the gun and see Miranda glaring her eyes at me. "You were supposed to protect her!" She says through gritted teeth. "You failed her! You failed ME!"_

_I hear whispers nearby but I couldn't find myself to look away from Miranda's sudden glowing blue eyes. "Now," Miranda growls, "you will die!" Her voice dramatically changes. Deeper and more synthetic this time. Miranda's lips suddenly smile evilly and says, "That's right commander. Your lover is ours. We will destroy everything you hold dear."_

_'No.' I shake my head. 'It can't be! Not you.'_

_"ASSUMING FULL CONTROL."_

I burst awake in a cold sweat, breathing heavily and holding my bare chest. I feel sick to my stomach so I get out of bed and run towards my bathroom. I lift the toilet seat cover and hurl my stomach contents. I lay still several moments before I hear the door to my cabin hiss open. Miranda walks into the bathroom, kneels next to me and holds me.

"Are you alright?" She asks.

Not wanting to tell her about my dream...about our child, I simply nod to her and say, "Must have been the food."

"You did eat a lot." I breathe a sigh of relief internally as she bought the lie and I push myself off of the rim of the toilet after I pull down the lever. I gingerly begin to stand and almost collapse and hit my chin on the sink before Miranda grabs me. "Come on, let's get to your bed."

"Our...bed." I correct her weakly while I wrap my arm around her waist. "What time is it?"

"Five past two." She replies as she sits me on the edge of the bed and lowers me on my back. I whimper at the loss of her touch and I grab her arm.

"Stay here." I plead in a low moan. "Please." I see Miranda nod before she climbs into bed with me. I desperately seek for her touch, her warmth and I pull her as close as our bodies let us. I give a light squeeze, which she returns and I sigh with relief knowing that she is here. To save me from my fears.

**Six hours later...**

My eyes slowly flutter awake and I am relieved to see Miranda still here beside me fast asleep. I inhale deeply through my nose and watch my girlfriend's serine face. I watch my Goddess' steady breathing, finding comfort in the deep breathing as she exhales through her slightly parted lips. My smile is only temporary as the images of our daughter, Emma, invades my mind. I turn away from Miranda when I feel a tear coming. I wipe it away, as well as the images of our future daughter. _She's not going to die._ I promise myself. _She won't be raised like this, knowing that the Reapers are still around. I won't allow it._ And then, I frown. _Who knows if she'll even like that name...Who knows if we will even have a daughter. We haven't really discussed it. _I shake my head instantly. _We have to take things slow. I can't be thinking about this right now...no matter how badly I want a child right now. _With one deep breath, I turn back and face the love of my life and I can't help myself but brushing loose strands of her hair behind her ear. _One of my many favorite things to do._

Miranda moans and her cheek follows the palm of my hand as I caress her. _One of my favorite sounds. _Her eyes slowly open and she smiles sweetly. "Morning."

"Hey." I smile in return as my thumb travels up and down her cheek and jawline. "Thanks for taking care of me. I...I'm feeling a lot better."

"Glad to hear it." She continues to smile and it develops into a toothy one when I seek to grab her hand and hold it firmly but tenderly.

"Hell, I could use that more often." I grin. "I'm the one doing all the lovey-dovey stuff while all I get in return is abuse."

"Abuse?" Miranda lifts her brow questioningly.

"Your teasing." I state matter-of-factly.

"My teasing?" A coy smile plays on Miri's lips and she sinks her face between my neck, leaving scorching kisses, causing me to inhale sharply. "Like this?" She whispers as she continues her sweet, gentle attacks of love. She repositions herself on top of me and I instantly hold her hips while tilting me head the opposite direction of where her mouth is to give her better access. Her biotics flare, causing an even hotter sensation ever time her soft lips touches my skin. The torture become too much and I grab a bunch of her hair and pull back, gaining a moan from Miranda. "I think you enjoy my teasing." Miranda smiles mischievously.

My cheeks begin to burn and I look away. "You drive me crazy."

"Well that's good." She leans down and continues her attacks, now moving on my reddened cheeks. "Isn't it?" She whispers millimeters from my lips and adds a sultry wink that makes me sweat.

"Just..." I groan. "Just shut up and kiss me."

Miranda smirks and purrs, "Yes, _Commander._"

"Commander Alonso."

"Jesus Christ, are you serious?" I break away from my girlfriend and look at the omni-clock on my nightstand. "It's fucking eight in the morning." I frown. _Fuck._ With a sigh, I sit up and turn to face EDI's avatar. "What is it EDI?"

"Grunt is getting impatient. He is pacing his quarters and talking to himself." EDI reports neutrally.

"Looks like you need to control your pet, Commander." Miranda chuckles.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, make fun of me will you?" I turn to EDI's avatar and order, "Tell him and Shepard to suit up. I'll be ready to go in...an hour."

"Of course, Commander. Logging you out." EDI's avatar disappeared and I turned back to my girlfriend and pull her by the arm.

"You're coming too so in the shower, Lawson. Now."

**Tuchanka - Urdnot Camp - Commander Alonso - 0945 hours**

I strap on my death mask helmet before the shuttle door opens, not wanting to breathe in the dusty Tuchanka air. _It might be toxic for all I know._ I turn to Jane and see her putting on an N7 breather helmet. I shake my head and chuckle. _I guess I'm not alone on this._

"This is the great Krogan homeworld?" Grunt steps out of the Kodiak. His once jumpy demeanor has now long disappeared and was replaced by disappointment. "This chunk of rock is barely worth standing on! Never thought I'd miss the tank."

"I'm not sure what you were expecting, Grunt." I walk ahead of him and wave the team over. _You weren't going to find unicorns and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow._ I add to myself as we walk towards Wrex's throne. Once we reach him, we see the scarred Krogan headbutting another. I smile at the sight. _He's still got it. I thought he might've gotten soft on us._

"Alonso." Wrex greets me before sitting down on his rock pile. "What can I do for you?"

I point my thumb towards Grunt and say, "I've got a Krogan on my crew. He has some kind of sickness and he needs medical attention."

Wrex waves Grunt forward and once he does, Wrex leans forward and measures our crewmate. "Hmmm. Where are you from welp? Was your clan destroyed before you could learn what was expected of you?"

"I have no clan." Grunt stands straighter. "I was tank-bred by Warlord Okeer, my line distilled from Kredak, Shiagur, Moro-"

The Krogan that had gotten up from Wrex's headbutt finally gets up and growls. "You recite warlords. But you are the offspring of a syringe!"

"Silence Uvenk!" Wrex orders. "You speak when spoken to." He stands and walks towards Grunt and walks around him. "Okeer is a very old name...A very hated name."

"So what's wrong with him?" I ask.

Wrex chuckles lowly and turns to face me. "He's becoming a full adult."

_Puberty? _I tilt my head. "Uhh is there any way we can help him?"

"He must venture into the Rite of Passage."

Uvenk shakes his head in disapproval before he steams off. "Too far, Wrex! Your clan may rule but he is _not_ Krogan!"

"Idiot." Wrex huffs. "So, Grunt. Do you wish to join Clan Urdnot?"

Grunt pounds his fists together and nods. "It's in my blood."

Wrex grins and nods in return. "Good boy. Speak with the Shaman on the second level. Give him a good show and he'll set you on the right path. I'm sure your Commander will help you."

"Wait I'm doing this too?" I groan and scratch my shoulder. "I don't have to have sex with some Krogan do I? Because this 'Rite of Passage' sounds like some se-"

"CHUCK!" Miranda glares her eyes at me and I sheepishly smile behind my helmet and scratch my shoulder.

"Just speak with the Shaman. He will tell you everything you need to know."

With a nodding farewell, we make our way towards the Shaman's quarters finding Uvenk there protesting. "Your barking does not help your case, Uvenk." The Shaman turns and looks at Grunt. "So this is the tank bred. It is very life like." With a sniff, he adds, "Smells correct as well."

I was about to interrupt before Shepard beats me to the punch. "Let's just get this over with."

"Hmm, Commander Shepard. It is an honor to finally meet a warrior like you. Urdnot Wrex speaks highly of you...for an alien. However, it is my word that determines whether a rite will proceed."

Uvenk growls at Shepard, Grunt and me and says, "If this must stand ritual, then I invoke a denial! My krantt stands against him! He has no one!"

"He has us, you lizard brain." I glare at him. "And I would be happy to kill your krantt _AND_ you if the Shaman allows it."

"Ha! Spoken like true Krogan. I like these two humans. Many do not understand our ways. I am glad to see you two do." The Shaman nods.

"Aliens don't know strength!" Uvenk protests. "My followers are true Krogan and not some tank-bred simpletons. Everything about Grunt is-"

***CLING***

I blink and stare dumbfounded as Uvenk stumbles back a few steps while Shepard falls on her ass. _Did she just..._

"You...You dare?" Uvenk says dumbfounded while rubbing his head as Shepard lies back on the ground, groaning while grabbing her head.

"Shepard?" I ask softly while the Shaman laughs hysterically. I kneel beside her and notice a large dent on Shepard's helmet. _You idiot. _I stifle a laugh and help her up as Uvenk growls and exits. I gingerly remove her helmet breathing a sigh of relief when I see Jane's lopsided smile. "You really _are_ an idiot." I laugh before sitting her up. "You okay?"

"I've gone through worse." Jane blushes.

"Don't ever do that again. You almost gave me a heart attack." I brush her forehead, a light bruising starting to show. "I think you should head back up to the Normandy. If you pass out during our mission-"

"Not going to happen Charlie. If that asshole Uvenk shows up, I want to be there when he dies. Nobody talks to our Krogan like that."

"Alright," I nod. "But we've going to need more backup." I help Shepard stand, with the help of Miranda and I call the Normandy and our shuttle. "EDI, tell Garrus and Samara to suit up and be ready. I'm sending the shuttle up. Tell them to meet us at Urdnot's camp."

"Understood."

**One hour later - Approaching Destination**

"How many Tonka trucks are there on Tuchanka?" Shepard asks with an innocent smile.

I press the front of my helmet into the palm of my hand and groan. "Don't answer that Shaman." I lift my head and face the N7 operative. "For the last time, it's To_M_ka, Shepard. Not Tonka. Tonka trucks are those kiddie toys."

Amused, Shepard says, "Really? I didn't know that. Thanks Charlie." She winks at me and drums her fingers on her legs for a few minutes before the Tomka trunk came into a halt.

"Here we are." The Krogan Shaman stood and opened the door, letting us step out first. "This is Tuchanka's most recent scar, the last surface city to fall in the rebellions. They keystone was at heart." The Shaman waved us over and we followed him up what looked and smelled like a sewage pipe. _Looks like I have to get someone to check the air filter on this helmet. _I sighed as the Shaman spoke once more. "It survived wars and the passage of centuries. It endures just as the Krogan has." We ascend from the pipes and stare around at the broken pillars and sand surrounding us. _This was a city? I wouldn't believe me if someone other than a Shaman told me. _"If you wish to join Clan Urdnot, you must contemplate the keystone and its trials. You must adapt. You must thrive." The Shaman turned and nodded at every one of us and began heading back down the pipe. "Any Krogan will." The hatch began slowly closing behind him and with a loud clank, we were left alone.

"I guess now I can't just...leave?" Garrus pipes in as he grabs his Widow rifle.

"Guess not." I shrug. "Grunt, hit the key stone." Grunt nods and heads over to the pedestal and hits the large red button.

We were met by a thundering noise that made the ground shake and a Krogan's voice over the loudspeakers moments later. "First, the Krogan conquered Tuchanka and we mastered a natural world only we are fit to hold." Another thump shook the ground and low growls could be heard in the distance.

"Here they come!" Grunt bounces up and grabs his Claymore and primes it with a slap on the safety. "I'm ready!"

Packs of Varren crawled out of disabled fans and began charging us. "Garrus, Shepard: I want you to stay back and snipe them. Miranda, stay right next to me. Samara, I want you to back up Grunt as best you can and Grunt: Do what you do best."

"Right!" Everyone shouts and I grab my eviscerator and run towards a small pack with Miranda following close behind. "Right behind you, Chuck."

I flare my biotics and send a large singularity at the pack of six in front of us. Shepard takes one out before Miranda and I flare our biotics and warp the dark energy ball suspended in the air. The biotic explosion takes out four of them but with a round of my shotgun, all six are destroyed.

"Two Alphas!" Miranda warns. She switches to her more deadly Carnifex pistol and begins shooting at one of the big animals. I switch to a Mattock and help her, stitching between gunfire and biotics.

"Grunt! Take care of the other Alpha. Snipers help him out."

"On it!" Garrus yells and charges across the battlefield and lifts the Alpha Varren with brute strength. "I AM KROGAN!"

Samara enters the fold and helps Miri and I take down the Alpha. With the extra biotics, the Varren posed no threat to us and we easily put it down. Grunt came back minutes later covered with blood and a murderous smile on his face.

"Having fun?" I smirk once I see Grunt chuckle and nod. "Good. Let's hit the keystone again."

_Round two. If it continues like this, it might be a stroll in the park._

"Harvesters!"

_Fuck._

As the large Harvester landed, its powerful wings sent the team flying backwards. I groaned as my lower back hit the keystone button, causing it the earth to rumble.

"What the hell did you do?" Shepard yelled as she was already up and fighting a Klixen.

"Not my fault!" I slowly got up and helped Jane out. Sooner than later, we began getting surrounded by Klixen and Varren. _We need to get out of this. _I began lifting the Varrens up in the air and pushing them away from us. "We need to spread out!" As I ran back, I was able to take down most of the Varren before they could regain consciousness, leaving just four Varren left. _I'll deal with them later._

"What the hell is that?" Garrus exclaimed, pointing behind me just as he finished killing a Klixen.

"What was what?" I asked when I turned and found nothing after I killed another Klixen with my intensified biotics.

"A little help here!" Shepard exclaimed as she was about to be cornered by two Klixen. I intensified my biotics and warped both of the bugs. Shepard rolled to safety before the two bugs exploded to death thanks to Samara's and Grunt's help.

"There!" Garrus pointed once more but when I turned, I found nothing. "Spirits. It's game over man! GAME OVER!"

"Are you drunk?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

"No! I just saw something pop up from the ground. I think it was a-"

"THRESHER MAW!" Grunt shouted.

_What! _My face felt pale and I slowly turned and looked up. _Hooooly shit._

"Finally!" Grunt shouts, "An enemy worth fighting!"

"A-alright," I gulped. _How did I get involved with this? _"give it everything you got."

"Oh don't worry." Jane smirks as she reaches behind her back. "I got this."

"Please," I scoff. "It would take a collection of firepower and biotic powers to take that thing down. Don't kid yourself, Jane."

"Oh trust me Charlie." Jane's grin grew wider, which began freaking me out. "That Thresher Maw has nothing on this." Jane brought out the gift I got for her weeks ago. The M-920 Cain. "Let's kick this worm's ass."

I nodded and looked at everyone else. "Everyone cover fire!"

The Thresher Maw began spitting a large acidic substance that I was lucky to dive out to the left last second before the large Worm dug himself back into the ground. Shepard and I cursed and we began searching for it. The Thresher came back up seconds later just behind us and immediately attack, sending the large acid towards us.

"Miranda move!" I yelled but it was too late. Miranda screamed in pain as a portion of the acidic substance hit her leg. "Miri!" _Damn it! _I ran towards her and picked her up carefully. "Cover me!" Samara, Garrus and Grunt covered me as Shepard began priming the Cain. I walked towards the keystone and gently set her down. Miranda screamed again once her legs touched the ground. _Shit this is bad._

"It hurts." Miranda winced and said through gritted teeth.

I reached for one of my medi-gel kits and I cut out some of the catsuit's fabric around the infection and winced at the burned flesh. I twisted open the medi-gel canister and rubbed the gel on my hand. I looked up at Miranda's eyes apologetically. "I'm so sorry baby but this is going to hurt." Miranda nodded and wrapped her arms around my right. Miranda winced and cried silently, tightening her grip around my arm as I generously covered the large burn with medi-gel. _Hopefully we can get to Chakwas in time._

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Shepard screamed. "Take this you ugly motherfucker!"

An enormous boom shook the ground and the explosion temporarily blinded me. The Thresher Maw squealed followed by Grunt's thunderous laugh could be heard before the ground shook once more. I turned around and saw a very dead Thresher Maw on the ground with Grunt punching it repeatedly. I rolled my eyes and turned back to face Miranda. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I hope we get back to the Normandy in time." Miranda said weakly.

Not wanting to risk her safety, I called our shuttle pilot. "Hadley, I need you to lock-in to our position and pick Operative Lawson up. Take her up to the Normandy. She's badly injured."

"Understood Commander. I'll be there shortly."

"I can keep fighting Commander." Miranda waved her hand dismissively and tried to stand only to fall back down from the pain.

"It's clear that you can't. Your leg could be infected. Have Chakwas take a look at you. I need you at 100 percent."

"Okay..." Miranda concedes before the shuttle arrives a few minutes later.

"Garrus, help me out here." I help Miranda stand up and with Garrus' help, Miranda was able to hobble up towards the shuttle. "Jennifer," I turn towards the pilot. "Take care of her."

"Yes, sir!" The shuttle takes off quickly and heads towards the Normandy. Just as soon as the shuttle disappears from eyesight another shuttle makes its way and lands near us.

"We have company! Good! I want more." Grunt ran off with his Claymore close to his body. I look to Shepard and notice that her helmet is gone.

Jane saw this and simply said, "The casing shattered."

_Shit. _"Grunt wait!" I sighed when he roared and barreled down the pipes. I quickly did an ammo check and reloaded my weapons. Everyone else did the same. The team looked at me and nodded and the four of us ran after Grunt, who was now long gone. "Come on, let's go!" Grunt was already crouching behind a low barrier, popping up a few times to shoot down a few Krogan soldiers. "Let's give him a hand shall we?"

I teamed up with Samara and together, we took down two Krogans that were attempting to pair themselves. _Amateurs._

"Get Shepard! Kill them everyone else! I want that human for a pet!" I looked towards the back of the Krogan group and saw a very familiar face. _Uvenk._ I snarled at the coward who was hiding behind a pillar.

"Garrus, mine the bastards." I ordered as I weakened a Krogan's armor with rifle rounds.

"You got it." Garrus reached for one of his mines on his belt. He threw it up in the air and caught it mid air before tossing it between two Krogans. The mine exploded and tore the Krogan's sides into shreds. The two Krogan cried before Garrus and I put them out of their misery with a satisfactory head-snapping headshot while Shepard and Grunt took out another together.

"Do I have to do everything myself?" Uvenk yelled out. But beneath that rage there was something else. Fear. I crouched between Garrus and Samara and I looked at Shepard who stood behind a pillar.

"We got three left. Shepard, Garrus take the one on the left. Samara, reave the one on the right. I'll throw a warp. Grunt, take care of Uvenk."

"Heh! My pleasure!" Grunt grinned and charged forward just as Garrus and Shepard killed their target with well placed sniper shots.

Samara reaved the Krogan on the right and I warped the Krogan, burning and disintegrating it. Which left Grunt to fight Uvenk. Surprisingly all it took was Grunt's charge to knock the Gatatog battlemaster on the ground. Grunt held Uvenk down with his heavy foot while Shepard and I walked to stand behind our Krogan pup.

"Any last words?" Shepard and I said in unison with a grin on our faces as Uvenk tried to break free from Grunt but to no avail.

"My men will seek revenge from what happened here. Grunt could have been the turning tide to rule all Krogan. My men will lead the Krogan and find revenge-"

"No." Grunt shook his head and stomped the Krogan. "I will never join you. You are a disgrace to our ancestors. My mom and dad are who I will follow."

"Mom and dad?" Shepard and I blinked. _Did he mean us?_

"My parents are just as strong as any Krogan alive and dead." Grunt continued. "Though they are aliens, they are true Krogan. They are strong. They are both leaders. If it wasn't for them, Urdnot Wrex wouldn't be here leading all Krogan just as he should. Wrex will lead us to salvation and we will regain our honor." Grunt cocked his massive Claymore and brought it to Uvenk's skull. "As for you. You will rot in hell." Grunt pulled the trigger and Uvenk's head exploded into a million pieces.

"Ugh! Not again!" Shepard grimaced as piles of brain matter and chunks of flesh covered her face and armor. I looked down and grimaced as well. _This is going to take forever to get off. I'm glad I wore a helmet._

"We should inform Wrex that Uvenk is no more." Samara suggested.

"Yeah." I nodded, "Let's get out of here and go home. I'm tired of all this sand."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Crew Deck - Commander Alonso - 1240 hours**

I removed my helmet and ran to the elevator and took the ride up to the crew deck. I ran to look through the med bay window and watched Chakwas run scan's over Miranda's body while Mordin worked on a workbench nearby. I looked on with a dreaded look on my face as Miranda's face looked paler and her body was shivering while unconscious.

"Charlie!" I heard Amanda gasp as she looked at the blood covering my armor. "What happened?"

"Grunt killed some asshole Krogan point-blank with his claymore. Trust me, I got it easy. Shepard didn't wear a helmet." I snickered as I could hear Shepard curse profanities while on her way to her quarters. I looked back and saw Chakwas heading out. "Doc, how is she?" I asked Karin as she approached me.

"She is suffering from infections of the acidic content from the Thresher Maw. Mordin is working on an antidote. She is very lucky. Another minute or so and she would have been in a much more critical state."

I frowned and turned to look at my girlfriend. "She's shivering." I whisper.

"She was pretty bad when we got her settled in." Amanda frowned.

"One of the many side effects of the venom. She will be under constant observation so we will have to wait and see in the next few hours." Chakwas offered me a smile and I nodded.

"Can...can I see her?"

Chakwas smiled once more and said, "Of course but be careful."

I took a deep breath and followed the good doctor into the med bay and slowly made my way to Miranda's cot, blinking back my tears as I heard her shiver. "Oh Miri..." I grabbed a rolling stool and sat beside her, grabbing her hand and running my thumb softly across her hand. "I'm so sorry." I frowned and brought her hand up to my lips and kissed it. Miranda's shiver temporarily stopped but continued shortly thereafter. I could only stare and watch. _I feel so helpless_. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours. I wanted her to get better right away but this isn't something that can be fixed with medi-gel. I stood minutes later and said to my girlfriend, "I...I'll let you rest. Get better okay?" I brought my lips to her forehead, jumping back at how cold she was. "I love you, Miranda. Keep fight, Lawson." I could no longer stop my tears from falling as I whispered to her. "That is a fucking order okay? I need you. Don't you dare do this to me. I can't lose you." With one final kiss on Miranda's shivering cold lips I back away. "I love you." I repeated.

Feeling defeated and guilty, I walked out slowly out of the med bay and stepped into the elevator and pressed Deck One. I stepped into my quarters and stripped out of my armor and letting them drop on the floor as I made my way towards the bed. I slipped myself under the covers of my bed and wrapped my arms around me as I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**We'll be heading to the Citadel next to a quick break before we go out into the galaxy once more.**

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**Please review :)**

**Until next time!**


	26. Always

**Hello ladies and gents. I am officially on spring break! Woohoo!**

**So hopefully I'll be posting new chapters more frequently...hopefully but I think I'm doing a good job with updating this story so far!**

**A bit of angsty but there are star wars quotes, mommy and daddy cuteness to come.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Always**

**December 15, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Quarters - Commander Alonso - 1800 hours**

After waking up countless of times from horrid nightmares and a scorching hot shower, I put on my casuals and headed down to the crew deck and check on Miranda. I sighed and pressed the back of my head on the rear elevator wall and closed my eyes, cursing myself for even thinking about sleep at a time like this.

_Selfish bastard. _I said to myself while I heard Miranda's voice echo the same words. I laughed. _She_ _would say something along those lines._ Once the elevator opened and I stepped out and walked a short distance towards the mess hall, finding the usual suspects at the table: Shepard, Kasumi, Garrus, Tali, Kelly, Amanda, Ken and Gabby. Samara and Thane were by the kitchen grabbing their own food before they walked back together towards the life support room, where Thane spends most of his time while on the Normandy.

"You look like hell." Garrus said as he looked up at me.

"Are you okay?" Shepard asked, frowning as she placed her spoon down on her tray.

I looked inside the med-bay finding Miranda on the bed sitting up, still pale but being fed by one of Chakwas' assistant nurses. "No..." I said finally, frowning when Miranda's eyes gave me a fake smile. I know she is anything but happy. "Excuse me." I left the group and walked into the med-bay where I walked to Miranda's cot and stood beside her. Her eyes looked up at me before looking down at her injured leg. She remained quiet and motioned the nurse to give us some privacy with a dismissing wave. "I..." I began but I fell silent. _I don't know what the fuck to say_. I exhaled sharply and looked down at my leather boots in defeat. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Miranda said quickly, trying to remove all doubts. "It's not your fault."

"I was so scared. Karin told me that the venom made you worse...and..." I shook my head. "and that if you were brought here a minute or so late, you would have been in even worse shape. You could've died. I... I'm relieved to see that you're awake."

"Doctor Chakwas assures me that I'm going to be fine. Mordin created an antidote for the Thresher Maw venom and with the help of my implants, I'll be ready in no time...Chuck, look at me." I swallowed the aching lump on my throat and looked at her steel-blue eyes. "Kiss me." And I did. She needed it. I needed it. I push my love and devotion in the kiss while she returned the same emotions and more. Not wanting to strain her, I reluctantly pulled away from the kiss but I promised that there will be more when she heals. Miranda's cheeks begin to develop a light pink shade as she looked outside of the med bay window. I look out and see Shepard, Kelly, Amanda, Gabby and Kasumi cheering while Garrus laughs and Ken stares with his mouth wide open. I laugh and shake my head before turning back to Miranda and seek her warmth and touch. I sit down on a nearby stood and hold her hand, exchanging loving squeezes between one another. I grab the food tray and finish feeding her. We talk for hours, finding myself at peace as I was able to make her as comfortable as possible; gaining smiles, blushes and even laughs.

"I can never tell you enough times but I love you." I kiss her forehand and I am rewarded with a heart-warming smile.

"I know."

We laugh in unison before Chakwas walks in with a motherly smile. _I guess I should let Miranda rest. _I nod to Chakwas before standing up and giving Miranda one last kiss. "Get some rest. I'll be back later to check up on you."

"Looking forward to it, Commander."

Feeling better, I make my way to Shepard's quarters finding her staring intently with her tongue out to the side as she played some sort of puzzle game on her omni-tool. I stared amusedly below the archway and cross my arms for a few moments before clearing my throat and catching the attention from my best friend.

"Hey Charlie." Jane smiled and turned off her omni-tool.

"Hey." I pushed myself off and walked over to sit next to Shepard on her bed. "Mind if I crash here tonight?"

"Be my guest." Jane scoots closer to me and I instinctively place my hand around her shoulder. "How's Lawson?" She asks.

"She'll pull through." I smiled and placed my other free hand behind my head. "I'm glad we have people like Chakwas and Mordin on our side."

"Good." She fidgeted with her hands and said moments later, "You really think she's the one for you?"

"Absolutely." I reply instantly. "No doubt in my mind at all." Shepard simply nods and bites her bottom lip. "Something wrong with that?"

"N-no! No, of course not. I know that I'm sounding like a record player and all but I...I'm happy for you. Truly. Maybe you won't need me around anymore after all this is over."

"Hey..." I frown and nudge her with my shoulder. "I'll _always_ have you in my life, Shepard. I'll always be there just like you have always been there for me. I'll go wherever you go. I'll be there for your wedding, standing right behind you as you marry the girl of your dreams. I'll be there when you have your kids and I'll take care of them as if they were my own flesh and blood. Don't _ever_ say that I won't need you or that I'll just walk away and leave you because that is not true. I love you, Shepard." Shepard breaks down into tears of joy and wraps her arms around my neck. I smile and hold her in a brotherly embrace, stroking her dyed black locks as she cries. "Besides," I clear my throat to shake away my shaky breath. "We share a kid. I'm not leaving you alone to take care of him." I tease.

Jane laughs, sniffs and wipes her tears away. "That's...kind of disturbing."

"Speak for yourself. I knew there was something in that belly of yours." I tease, poking at her stomach.

"Hey! Are you calling me fat?" Shepard glares at me.

"Stop putting words in my mouth, Jane." I poke her stomach once again. "You're getting a bit soft tho-"

"That's it!" Shepard growls and pounces on top of me and we begin to wrestle on her bed. I let her temporarily have the upper hand as we rolled off of the bed and landed hard on the soft floor while she had me in a headlock. I grinned and flared my biotics, grazing her skin which caused her to jump and let me loose. I straddled her and grinned. I lifted up her shirt a few inches and began tickling her sides.

Shepard squirmed and squealed, "Charlie!" she giggled as she tried to get me off of her. "Stop! I can't! I can't!" Her cheeks began to turn red and she finally said. "Okay! I give up!" I laughed and stopped. I leaned down as kissed her cheek before I lied next to her. She returned the kiss and rested her arm over my chest while I brought her closer to me. She yawned and said, "Want to go to sleep?" I nodded and the both of us stood and got into bed. We crawled under the covers and we snuggled close, resuming the same positions we were on the floor. "I love you Charlie." She smiled and kissed me once more.

I smiled and kissed her on her forehead after she rested her head on my chest. "I love you too, Jane. Sweet dreams."

**December 16, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Shepard's Quarters - Commander Shepard - 0600 hours**

I missed days like this. When Charlie and I would wake up in each other's arms. I remember the times we were granted some time off and we would spend time with my family. Charlie and I would always hold each other every night, talking through whispers in the dark nights in my room. As friends. It was in those talks in bed when we got to know each other: Our likes and dislikes. Charlie would tell me about the kids that made fun of him for being a biotic, the lack of attention from his parents or how he never had a girlfriend. I cried for him when he told me that. He has always been a handsome man, at least for the years that I've known him. During the initial first years of knowing him, he was very reserved and extremely shy and he would jump whenever I touched him; possibly from all of the abuse from the other kids. I was the one who offered to be his first but he refused immediately, not wanting to lose me as a friend. It was very sweet and I loved him for it. I guess I used to have a crush on him but just like him, I didn't want to lose him.

Over the years, he became less shy and I encouraged him to put himself out there on the market. Sadly when it came to other girls, he froze and he would always come back to me with a sad puppy-dog frown on his face. After many failed attempts, he became depressed and would huddled himself in his room and at one point was extremely upset. That was how his alcohol addiction began and through that, always had a gun under his pillow...

_**Six Years Ago...**_

_I heard intense sobs coming from down the hall. It was a cold night so I wrapped myself with my blanket and walked down the hall to Charlie's room. I gasped and ran in. "What are you doing?" I cried out as I watched Charlie press an old gun from Earth up to his head, with his finger on the trigger, "Put the gun down!"_

_"Leave me alone, Shepard! I don't need you!" His words slurred. 'I knew it. He's drunk.' I looked around for the bottle but found shards of glass on the floor. I slowly began making my way towards but was halted when he pointed the gun at me. "Don't you fucking rob me of this! Don't you god damn move another inch."_

_"Or what! You're going to kill me?"_

_"Just...Just leave me alone!"_

_"Charlie..." I began softly, "let me help you. We can get through this."_

_"I don't want to do this anymore! I'm tired. Of all of it! I just can't."_

_"Charlie please," I say, tears already falling down my cheeks, "put the gun down. Don't do this to yourself."_

_Charlie began to cry even harder and dropped the gun. I rushed forward and held him. "I don't want to go to Thessia, Jane." He sobbed into my shoulder as he squeezed me. "I don't want to be away from you."_

_"I know." I gave him a loving squeeze. "I'll be so lonely without you but that's where the Alliance wants you. I don't like this anymore than you do."_

_He broke away from the hug and looked at me with lost hazel eyes. "Wh-What if I don't see you again? What if-"_

_"That's not going to happen." I grab his hands and pull him to bed. We sit on the edge and look at him in the eyes. "We'll call each other every day, okay? Promise me you will do that."_

_"...I promise."_

_I smile and kiss him on the cheek. "Good. Let's get some sleep okay?"_

_"You'll stay here with me right?"_

_I smile and caress his cheek. "Always." Charlie breathed a saddened sigh before we crawled into his bed together. We cried together as we held each other in each other's arms. Probably for the last time. I prayed to God so that he could watch over him until he came back to me. "I love you Charlie."_

_"I love you too, Jane. God, I love you so much. I'll come back to you, I promise."_

I sighed and closed my eyes. Those days are so few now; now that we have other people in our lives but I am thankful for mornings like this. I give Charlie a light squeeze, which woke him up. He smiles and squeezes me back, burying his face in my neck, causing me to giggle.

"You always were ticklish." He chuckles, "I bet Liara loves it."

I blush. It's true. _Liara knows all of my weak spots. God, I miss her so much._ "I hope we'll be on Illium for Christmas. I miss her so much."

"I got up a few hours ago and had Joker set a course for the Citadel. I think it would be as good of a time as any to buy Christmas presents. I don't think we'll be back in any of the big-citied planets before Christmas. Tali sent me a message saying that she wanted to talk to me." Charlie shrugs. "I hope we don't have to travel to Geth space. That is the last place I want to go right now."

"And I have to help Thane with something."

"What's wrong?" Charlie asks. "Is his condition worsening?"

"No...It's his son. It appears that Thane's son is following his father's footsteps in being an assassin and Thane wants to stop him from doing that."

"You think you can handle it?" He asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "His son is in the Citadel so it shouldn't be so bad."

"I trust you. Just be careful."

I nod and close my eyes for a few seconds. "Charlie?"

"What?"

"What are you getting me for Christmas?" I asked coyly.

Charlie laughs and says, "If I tell you then it would spoilt the surprise. Have you talked with your mom lately?"

I shake my head 'no'. "The last time I talked to her was when I joined you. I might go ask Anderson if she is here. It'd be nice to see her again."

"Let me know if she is. I'd like to see how's she's doing. I want to do some things while I'm here."

"We could use a break." I suggest, gaining a rolling of the eyes. "What?"

"Well...there is a new club that recently opened near the Presidium. Might be worth checking out." Charlie grins. "Anyways, I'm going up to my cabin and take a shower. I'll meet you for breakfast at seven thirty?"

"Sounds good." I smile and stretch my body after my best friend leaves the bed. "See you then."

**Two Hours Later...**

"Councilor." I dry my hair off as I sit in front of my terminal and greet Anderson.

Anderson shakes his head and laughs."Come on, Shepard. You know better than that."

"Alright, good to see you Anderson. What's up?"

"I have reports that the Normandy has just entered the system as is making her way to dock with us. I'd like you to come as soon as you can. Don't bring Charlie. It's not advised."

"Why not?" I tilt my head to the side, staring at Anderson with confusion.

"Lieutenant Williams will be joining us. She has debriefed me about the incident on Horizon."

"I see..." My brows furrow. "I hope I won't be debriefing you on our side of the story?"

"I don't think it will come to that Shepard but be prepared."

"Very well. I have some other issues to handle but I'll let you know when I'm free."

"I appreciate it, Shepard. I'll look forward to seeing you." Anderson nods and disconnects the call and I'm left with conflicting feelings. _It will be good to see Anderson again but...Ashley. _I wasn't impressed with her actions on Horizon. _Whatever. What Charlie and Ashley had going on was their problem. _I stood and headed upstairs to the armory, finding Charlie and Grunt near one of the weapon benches.

"Ah, there's your mother." Charlie grins at me, waving my over. I sigh and walk over to my husband and son? _Ugh! Yuck!_ I cringe at the thought. "What do you think about this: Grunt and I are trying to improve our kid's shotgun. We both agree in using a smart choke but we disagree when it comes to using a shredder mod or a high caliber barrel. What do you think would be best for your son?"

I sighed once more. _I wish you'd stop saying that, for one. _"Why not use a high velocity barrel? It's the best of both worlds."

"Hmm. Mom has a point." Grunt nods. Charlie looks amused at that and gives me a wink.

"Mommy is always right." I stiffened and paled as soon as the words escaped my lips. Charlie snickered while I frowned. _Crap. _"I hate you, Charlie."

"Good to know. Now, I think that settles-"

"Charlie! Keelah, I finally found you. I need to speak with you." Tali enters the armory and seems anxious while she walks towards us.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asks.

"I'm afraid that I seem to be in a bit of trouble. The Admiralty Board requests my presence. I...I have been accused of treason."

"What?" Charlie and I exclaim in unison. "How is that possible?"

Tali looks down on the floor with slumped shoulders. "I...don't know. They don't lay charges like this unless the evidence seems absolute. I'm scared."

"Is it because you're working with us?" I ask.

Tali shakes her head and places her hand on her violet visor, "I don't know, Shepard. I honestly don't know! You'd think I would remember if I endanger the Fleet!"

"So, what happens when a Quarian is accused of something?" Charlie asks.

"There's... a hearing, with members of the Admiralty Board acting as judges." Tali's voice softens even more. "My father is an admiral on the board. He'll have to rescue himself from judgment. I can't even imagine what he's going through right now. The punishment for treason is exile. If they convict me...I...I can't!" Tali bursts into tears and Charlie and I exchange glances, not needing any further explanation, we approach the young quarian and hold her. "Since we are on the Citadel, I am going to book passage on another ship and head-"

"Absolutely not." Charlie frowns. "When do you need to get there?"

"Within three days." Tali sniffs, "The Fleet is currently located at Raheel-Leyya, in the Vallhallan Threshold." Tali responds, wringing her hands together.

"Joker," Charlie begins. "If we leave now, how soon can we get to the Vallhallan Threshold."

"Uhh, let me see...Three days, Commander." Joker responds through the ship's PA system.

"But-" I begin but I am interrupted by Charlie.

"Thane, I know." Charlie nods in understanding before reaching for his earpiece. "Miranda...? Hey, listen. I need you to send me the keys to your apartment...Shepard needs it...Yeah, I'll tell her...Great! I owe you one. I'll be right down to check up on you." He smiles at me and brings up his omni-tool. "Miranda has an apartment down by the Wards. Take some time off after you're done helping Thane out with his problem. We should be back in six days then we'll rest up before we go after that IFF."

"Okay. You sure you don't want me to stay." I ask.

"We'll be fine. I'm sure this whole thing is just a misunderstanding." Charlie nods. "Oh and take your son with you."

_Damn it, Charlie! _I glare at Charlie who smiles innocently. "Fine. Come on Grunt, we're going." I give Tali one big hug before I make my leave from the armory and reach Thane through my earpiece. "Thane, meet us in the airlock."

"Of course, Shepard. I'll be right there."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Med Bay - Commander Alonso - 1100 hours**

I step into a room of smiles. My brow arches in questioning. "Something I missed?" I asked the good doctor.

"Miss Lawson can leave the med bay, Commander. Though I would suggest for her to continue to be restricted to her bed and _not_ her terminal."

I smile and look at Miranda who bit her bottom lip while she looks up at me. "Alright, let's get you to your quarters." I stand beside my girlfriend and offer her a hand. She takes it and wrap her arm around my shoulder while I gently hold her by the waist. I look at Chakwas and nod. "Thanks for everything, Doc."

"All in a day's work Charles."

I lead Miranda out of the med bay and guide her to her quarters. "How's your leg?" I ask.

"It's sore but I assure you, its fine." She responds as we step into her room. I guide her to her bed and lay her down, pulling her comforter over her body, tugging them under her to keep her warm. "Thank you." She smiles as I walk around to the other side of the bed and crawl to lie beside her. "What is it?" She asks.

I shrug and brush her hair behind her ear. "You're beautiful." Her creamy skin develops a light rosy color but rolls her eyes. "Are you hungry?"

Miranda shakes her head and says, "I just want you."

"Oh?" I grin, wrapping my arms around her waist and pull her as close as our bodies let us. I lean my head closer and purr in her ear, "Be careful what you wish for."

"I'm already regretting it." She teases and I look at her with mock-indignation.

"That hurts." I pout, causing Miranda to melodically giggle in response.

"You'll survive, Commander." Miranda leans in and tenderly presses her lips against mine as one of her hands gently caresses my neck. Our tongues meat and dance in a heat of love and lust. Her moans inside my mouth begin to turn me on even more but I have to control my urges and I am force to gently press her away. Miranda frowns in disappointment but then nods in understanding. "You'll stay here, won't you?" She asks after several minutes of holding one another. I look into her mesmerizing steel-blue eyes; run my fingers up and down her cheeks and smile.

"Always."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Operative Lawson's Quarters - Miranda Lawson - 1700 hours**

I soft moan escapes my lips when I feel something soft graze lips. I open my eyes and see my boyfriend grinning at me. I turn to look away from him, hiding my blush. _God, your grin is so sexy._

"Good afternoon, princess."

_And just like that, the magic is gone. _"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that!" I glare at him, causing him to chuckle.

"Don't have to get all high and mighty on me, _princess._"

I groan and roll my eyes. "You can be so bloody difficult sometimes."

Chuck continues to grin and laughs. "I know, I really am. Still, you _could_ be a _little _nicer." He pokes me in my stomach. "Come on, admit it. You think I'm alright."

I shrug my shoulders and huff, "Maybe. If you aren't acting like a scoundrel."

Charlie's brows lift up in surprise. "Scoundrel?" He parrots.

"That's right! A god damn villain." I glare at him. _Probably doesn't know what the word means._

Charlie smiles, as if he ignored my previous statement. _Wipe that stupid smile off of your face, damn it! _"Scoundrel." Charlie repeats again. "I like the sound of that." I sigh in frustration and whip my body to face away from him, cursing myself by helping that stupid ego of his. "Aw, don't be mad Miri."

"Go away." I growl, burying my face in the pillow.

"I can make you take me back."

"I'd love to see you try." I whip my head to the side and give him a challenging look. The next thing I know, Charlie is hovering over me. I feel his hands on my left thigh, pressing just enough pressure to cause me to gasp. _Is he..._A moan escapes my lips as his hands work up and down my thigh a few moments before he moves to my right thigh and repeating the motions."That feels so good." I say breathlessly as my boyfriend gives me a massage.

I feel his warm breath in my ear before he says, "Your muscles are tense. Just relax and let me do this for you. But first..." Charlie gropes my ass, giving it a squeeze before he slaps them hard. I gasps in response, biting my lip to stop me from saying something stupid that could ruin this. "Mmm, does my XO like that?" I nod vigorously before he slaps my ass again. "I didn't hear you."

"Yes!" I moan into my pillow.

"Good." His hands move up to the small of my back. "You know," his thumbs trace small circles near my spine, "I've never done this before." I feel his hands agonizingly make their way up my back. "I'm glad you're enjoying this...It's a shame you have your catsuit on. It...could help if they were off." I don't need any more convincing. I tug down on my zipper and pull my suit down my body, with the help of my boyfriend. "That's much better but there's still room for improvement." Charlie unclasps my bra and throws it somewhere then moves to remove my panties. Once every bit of clothing is removed from my body, I feel scorching heat when Charlie flares his biotics against my skin. I close my eyes blissfully as his hands continue it pleasurable massages.

"Feeling better baby?" He asks and once more, I am at a loss of words and I could only nod. "I could do this all day." _I wish you could. _I continue to enjoy this for about twenty minutes before he finally says. "I think we're done. How are you feeling?"

I turn around and face him and smile gratefully. "That's the best massage I have ever had. Thank you."

"It was hard work. I could feel the tense muscles all over your body...You've never had a massage before, have you."

I shake my head slowly. "I'm afraid I haven't."

"Well you behaved yourself and I have a feeling that there is one spot we haven't covered." Charlie and I grin in unison as he looks down and hums in approval. "If I remember correctly, Chakwas didn't say anything about...extracurricular activities."

"Oh?" I smile mischievously, "Do you have something in mind?"

"That I do, Lawson. That I do." We meet halfway and kiss deeply before he pulls away, kissing his way down my body to pamper me in a different but equally as pleasurable way.

* * *

**We're heading into the final two loyalty missions before we dive back into the fray. We'll be onboard with Shepard and her Krogan son on board the citadel next chapter *snicker* then we'll help Tali in the chapter after that.**

**Please rate and review!**

**Until next time :)**


	27. Drell Assassin

**Drell Assassin**

**December 16, 2185**

**Citadel - Zakera Ward - Commander Shepard - 0900 hours**

Thane walked beside me, helping me carry a few crates on a dolly, while Grunt thumped close behind, looking around at the vibrant lights. We are on our way to Miranda's apartment to get settled in before we helped Thane out with his family problems. I looked back with an amused grin as I watched Grunt looking around, knowing this was his first time setting foot at the heart of galactic civilization. "What do you think so far, Grunt?" I asked once I pressed the button to call the elevator that would take us down to the customs depot.

"Too many lights and way too many of those squishy turians." Grunt huffed. "Can we find a bar and tear it apart?"

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "I'm afraid not. If you behave, maybe I'll buy you something." The Krogan sighed in disappointment but nodded nonetheless. Once our elevator ride arrived, we stepped in, and I thanked God that it was big enough to fit a Krogan and some extra cargo. _I hate being squished in these things. _I pressed level B2 and the elevator began a snail-crawling decent down to the depot. We stood silently, listening to that annoying elevator music for a few minutes before we heard a chime.

"In a recent poll based on the two former human Specters' recent interview with Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, many were pleased to see the reaction from former Spectre Alonso with many viewers saying that Miss al-Jilani, 'Had it coming to her'. We have reached the reporter from Westerlund News but has refused to comment on the incident."

I grinned once the Galaxy News report ended. _Charlie will love that._ The elevator door opened and we stepped out into a sea of people with their own luggage, passing through various scans and other checkpoints. _This is going to take a while._ I sighed and turned to look at Grunt and much to my relief saw him grinning, and then suddenly realizing that he must be in a daydreaming haze. I faced forward and puffed out my cheeks. _I'd say there are at __**least**__ five-hundred people here. Grunt could start a Krogan massacre at any moment._ I punched Grunt's large bicep which snapped him out at whatever fantasy was going on his brain and said, "Behave." The Krogan growled but followed Thane and I until we were in line. _Suddenly I regret leaving for Omega._ I sighed after half an hour being in line and only moving a few yards. _If I hadn't left, __I could've still used my Spectre status to cut ahead of the line._

"This is boring!" Grunt protested and I turned to stare up at him in a glare. "Can I at least walk around?"

I rolled my eyes and extended my hand. "Give me your claymore." Hesitantly, Grunt complied and handed me his massive shotgun. I stumbled forward and fell, taking the shotgun with me. _Why am I stuck babysitting Grunt? _I growled as I sat on the floor in protest and with Grunt's claymore sitting on my lap.

"You are not enjoying this, are you?" Thane asked, a slight smile forming on one side of his lips.

"No." I stood up and huffed, "My day started great and it's just getting worse and worse."

"You know," Kasumi fizzles out of nowhere and this time, I'm just too upset to even jump in surprise, "You could've just asked for help."

"Yeah well, if I knew you were here, I would've ordered you to carry the damn shotgun."

Kasumi giggled and grabbed the Claymore from my grasp. "I follow Chuckle's orders, remember? We all do."

"Yeah well...bite me." So there we stand, for an hour and we are next in line to pass through the scanners when I see a familiar face. "Commander Bailey!"

The C-Sec agent notices me waving and comes over with a smile. "Commander Shepard, an odd place to find someone like you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You...didn't know?"

_Great...if he tells me-_ "What?" I asked with a depressed sigh.

"Well, you're still part of the Alliance correct?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Technically, yes."

"Your line is over there." Bailey points to the far left line where I can see 'Alliance Checkpoint' in big letters and I frowned as I looked at the line.

_It's empty._

"So this whole time, I could have avoided all of this?" I ask tiredly.

Bailey chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. "I'm afraid so, ma'am."

"Can I just get through and skip all of this? Please? I've got a Krogan that thinks is my son and an annoying little Japanese girl."

"Hey!" Kasumi playfully punches me in my arm, causing me to grin.

Bailey blinks, "A Krogan that thinks is your kid?"

"Don't ask."

"Very well." Bailey nods, "Where are you heading?"

"The Sullust apartments down by the Wards."

"Come on, I'll take you there."

I breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed, 'Thank you' before I looked around for the extra cargo. "GRUNT! Get your ass over here!"

_Liara..._ I sighed. _I wish you were here to cheer me up. I miss you._

**Meanwhile...**

**Illium - Liara's Office - Liara T'Soni**

_Shepard..._

I put my datapad down on my desk, stood and turned to face the markets below me, watching people of all races scour around like children instead of preparing for the worst. I placed my arm over the glass window and my forehead against my arm and breathed heavily. _So much work and our time is running out. _Since my lover's last visit, I have been able to sort through some of the lies Nyxeris has given me through the last few months, thanks to Charlie's help. I smiled at that. _Where would I be without those two silly humans. _My smile fades once the thought came to my mind. _Probably dead or worse, indoctrinated. _

I shook my head. _Don't think like that. Shepard saved me and the two commanders welcomed me with open arms. They didn't criticized me when other humans aboard the ship did. I have so much to be thankful for. I, however, gained friends during my time on the Normandy and...fell in love._

I looked up at the bright blue sky and closed my eyes and focused on Shepard's image...or at least the image of her when I was with her on the Normandy and more importantly, her shoulder length red hair and radiant green eyes. _Goddess how much I miss her old hair. Hopefully it will be different the next time I see her. _I had been saddened and disappointed when both of those features were gone when she visited me here on Illium.I sighed deeply. _Don't be so foolish, T'Soni. Jane has far worse things to worry about than the color of her hair or eyes. _I opened my eyes and lowered my arm and prayed to the Goddess to keep Shepard safe.

I winced my eyes shut once more and looked away from the window, knowing that Shepard is out there, putting her body in danger against the Collectors and other dangerous foes. I just hope Charlie is keeping her safe. I could only imagine what kind of challenges she is going through right now.

"In Galaxy News Today, Commander Shepard has been seen located on the Citadel..."

_Hm?_ I looked up and saw Shepard standing in front of the local press, answering a few questions. "The Citadel..." I said out loud. I paced slowly back and forth, nibbling on my thumb until I stopped moments later. I smiled mischievously. I quickly close my terminals and head to the transit hub as quickly as possible.

**The Citadel - Zakera Ward - Commander Alonso - 1500 hours**

After settling into Miranda's apartment and getting into my armor, we traveled back up to the markets in Zakera Ward. We spoke to Bailey earlier saying that we could find Mouse around these parts. Mouse was kid who grew up poor on the Citadel and spent most of his times in the ventilation shafts. According to his file, he did a lot of odd jobs for those that were willing to pay. Bailey even said he carried a VI of me and sold them to whoever wanted one. _I don't know if I should be flattered or weirded out._

"There he is." Thane nodded to a scrawny looking kid that was walking on his omni-tool while holding a datapad just outside The Dark Star club.

"Hey, are you Mouse?" I ask the kid who looks up at Thane and jumps.

"Krios? I-I thought you retired!" He looks at me with wide-eyed fascination. "Commander Shepard! H-hello. I'm...a big fan."

I smile slightly at that. "Hello. Listen, I think you can help us out."

"I don't know..." Mouse looks away and blushes.

"Come on," I lean down so our eyes meet. "Help us out and I might _give _you something." Mouse stiffens and looks between Thane and me and sees Grunt standing around. He gulps hard and nods. "Okay...What do you need?"

"Word around the station says that my son contacted you and is planning to kill someone." Thane questions. "I need to know where he is."

"Kolyat came to me with a holo of me and said you knew me. He was looking for work and I put him under your contact lists. Elias wanted to hire him."

"Elias Kelham?" Thane asked. Mouse nodded. Thane turned to me and said, "We should present this to the C-Sec officer."

I nod and turn to face Mouse with a smile. "Thank you, Mouse. Oh and I heard you had a Shepard VI?"

"Yeah...I created one when you disappeared. I made one to keep me company. I have one on me if you want a copy!" Mouse smiled.

"I'd like one." I smiled back when Mouse gave me a round circular disk that was about one inch thick. "I'll take a look at it once this whole thing is finished." I approached Mouse and gave him a tender kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for your help, _Mouse_." With a goodbye wink, I left Mouse speechless. _Heh, score another one for me._

"Commander Bailey." I pursed my lips, "I got a name. Elias Kelham."

"Shit...Look, I uhh... Kelham and I have an agreement. He buys tickets to the C-Sec Charity Ball and I leave him alone."

I huff and cross my arms over my chest. "So, you aren't going to help me?"

"I'll help you, sure. I'll get my men to bring him in and you'll get to interrogate him if you wish. I can't get involved with that part."

My face lights up at the news. "Alright! Bring him in."

"Mom, I'm hungry." Grunt approaches me as Bailey looks at me with a grin.

"That's why you have Aunt Kasumi to take care of you while mommy is working, Grunt." I wink at Kasumi who glares at me.

"It's _Aunty_ Kasumi to you." Her face lights up and looks at Grunt. "Come on, I'll take you...uhh...somewhere."

"Have fun you two!" I yell out, laughing while Thane and I wait for the C-Sec agents pick up this Kelham guy.

"Thoughts on how we interrogate Kelham?" Thane crosses his arms as he leans back against the wall.

"Hmm. You talk to him. Appeal to his self interests. I'll knock him around for a bit if he doesn't cooperate."

Thane contemplates before nodding. "Very well. I'll pretend to be on his side."

**Thirty minutes later...**

We walk inside Interrogation Room One, finding a very confused Kelham strapped to a chair. "Who the hell are you two?" He asks before I stalk behind him while Thane walks in front.

"You ordered a hit on someone. You're going to tell me who, now start talking."

Kelham turns his head to face me and growls, "The only person I am talking to, _sweetheart_, is my advocate."

_Sweetheart huh? _"Here's how it works, _bonehead_. I ask a question. You answer it. You speak when you are spoken to. Are we clear?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

I feel my blood boil so I slap him hard across his right cheek. "Mr. Kelham I don't think you are paying attention."

Despite being bitch-slapped, he huffs a laugh, showing a toothy grin. "You just handed me your job. Hit me again and I'll take your fucking money too."

"Just tell us what we need to know." Thane mediates. "My associate can get very impatient."

"And who are you frog boy? Her little sidekick?" Elias scoffs. "Hit me again, you _slut_. Give me a reason to hurt you when I get outta here." I smirk in return. I clench my fists and punch him once more on his right cheek and because I didn't like him, I punched him again on his right ribs. Elias grunts and spits out blood. "Do you know what I'll do to you? You fucking bitch! I'll make you pay."

"I'd love to see you try." I stand proudly.

"Commander." Thane walks to the far end of the room. _Oh...I'm pushing it too hard. _I frown and follow him.

"Sorry." I said softly. "I was having a little too much fun...No wonder Charlie likes man-handling thugs." I sighed. _He always gets all the fun._ "I'll ease off-"

"Are we done here? I've got shit to do!"

_Ah screw it._ I run back and pull my pistol from my hip and point it at his crotch. "I'm done being patient. Give me a name or I'll cut your balls off and feed it to my Krogan that is probably still hungry, roaming around the wards!"

Elias gasps and stares at me with fears in his eyes and finally he gives in. "Joram! Joram Talid! Turian in the 800 blocks!"

I back off and holster my gun and look down at Elias victoriously as he heaves heavily. "_There..._was that so hard?" I clench my fists one last time and knock him out cold with an uppercut. "That's for bad-mouthing a lady!" I turn to face Thane who nods in compliance. We step out and tell Bailey about the Turian and in return gives us a sky car so I can take us to the 800 blocks.

The four of us step in and I hit the ignition and take off. I turn to Grunt who is sitting in the back seat and ask. "What did you eat?"

"I took him to this Japanese place down by the food courts." Kasumi answered.

"I ate Ramen noodles. They...tasted bland. I need meat." Grunt huffed.

I giggled inwardly as I drove up to the 800 blocks._ Maybe taking him with me isn't so bad after all._

**Citadel - 800 Blocks - Commander Shepard - 1700 hours**

The group split up. Thane stuck to the shadows while I followed Joram and his Blood Pack bodyguard from the catwalks while Kasumi and Grunt stuck to the ground at a distance.

"Any sign of him?" Thane asked over the comms.

"He's taking to a few Salarian and Volus voters." I reply.

"Are you out of sight?"

"Of course!" I wave Thane off dismissively. "You should be thankful I'm not following him in a cardboard box."

"Cardboard box, Shep?" Kasumi asks, her interests piqued.

"Yeah..." I sighed sadly. "Long story short, I had to escape captivity with a henchmen's gun I stole and a cardboard box...he got left behind when the guards noticed a box hobbling around their complex..."

"You're joking right?"

"I never joke, Kasumi." I reply seriously.

"...Huh! I might try that sometime."

"Where is he now?" Thane queries again. _Oh!_ I quickly catch up to the Turian politician and update Thane. "No sign of Kolyat?"

"No." _Crap_. "I'm going to lose him. Let me get into a better position." I walk through a series of doors, unable to find a good vantage point. I step into a grey room with boxes stacked up next to each other.

A maintenance worker looks back and approaches me. "Hey! Who are you?" He asks. "What are you doing back here?"

"What am I doing here?" I ask and point at him, saying, "What are you doing here?"

The man scratches his head and tilts his head to the side. "Huh?"

"Do you have _any_ idea how dangerous it is here?" I yell.

"Dangerous?"

I point my thumb behind me, trying to keep myself from laughing and yell, "We're running out of time! Get out of here. Now! Before it blows!"

"Blow! Wh-What?"

"RUN!"

The man screams and runs past me as fast as his legs can take him. I chuckle as the door closes behind me. "I can't believe that actually worked!" I press on, passing through another door and I see Jordam and his bodyguard approaching some apartment complex...with Kolyat following close behind.

"Kolyat!" I yell and thankfully it catches his attention. However the victory is short-lived as I see Kolyat reach for his gun and points it at Jordam and his bodyguard. He pulls the trigger and takes down the merc and runs after the Turian who has fled into the apartments. By this time, I have already hopped down from the catwalks and match my squad in a sprint after Kolyat.

"He must not reach Talid." Thane urges as we step inside the room where we last saw Kolyat enter. Inside, we find Talid on his knees, facing us and Kolyat pointing a gun at the Turian's head. I took out my pistol and switched to concussive rounds.

"This...This is a joke right? Now? Now you show up?" Kolyat glares at his father.

"Put the gun down, Kolyat." I say softly. "You don't want to hurt him. C-Sec should be arriving any minute."

As if on cue, Bailey and other patrolmen arrive with their guns at the ready. "Drop the gun."

"Get out of my wat! I'm walking out and this Turian is coming with-"

I quickly dash forward and tackle Kolyat to the ground, disarming him and wrapping his arms behind his back. "Get Talid out of here."

Bailey nods to one of his patrolmen and holsters his gun. "Take Kolyat into custody."

"You...Why!" Kolyat seethes in anger.

"Your father doesn't have a lot of time. He's trying to fix things." I explain.

Kolyat turns to Thane and scoffs. "So you came here and ask for forgiveness? So you can die in peace or something?"

"Actually." Thane looks down on the ground and says softly, "I came to grant _you_ peace." There was silence in the room as Thane thought of words to say to his son. "You're...You're angry because I wasn't there when your mother died."

Kolyat shakes his head in disgust. "You weren't there when she was _alive_! Why should you be there when she _died_?"

"Your mother...They killed her to get to me. It was my fault. After her body was given to the deep, I went to find the trigger men and ring leaders. I tortured them for a while, eventually killed them. When...I went back to see you, you were all grown up. I should have stayed with you."

"Hmph! I guess it's too bad you waited so long huh?" Tears began to fall down Kolyat's cheeks. Angry tears, hurting.

"I've taken a lot of bad things out of the world. You were the only good thing I could ever add to it."

"Hmmm." Bailey breaks the conversation, "This isn't something you should say in front of strangers."

I nod slowly and add. "I agree. Take them to the station so they could talk. I'm sure Thane can find his way back."

Thane turns to me and bows. "Thank you, Shepard."

"Anytime." I offer a smile. "Take all the time you need." I turn to face Grunt and Kasumi. "Let's go."

**Citadel - Miranda's Apartment - Commander Shepard - 2000 hours**

Thane returned about an hour ago and said that things were slowing fixing themselves and that he and his son would continue to talk frequently. He left shortly after, saying that he was going to Huerta Memorial so that he could find someplace that could accommodate his disease. I was about to head to bed when I heard a knock on the door. I got out of bed and zipped up my N7 hoodie as I walked towards the door. Once it opened, I stared wide-eyed, looking at the most beautiful asari I have ever seen.

"Liara?"

Liara smiled as she wore a white jumpsuit and a matching lab jacket that accentuated her delicious curves. "Hello, Shepard." I bit my lip as my eyes roamed up and down, causing her to blush. "Can I come in?"

I shook my head. "Not before I do this." I pounced on her, tackling her to the ground and fiercely connected my lips with hers. I closed my eyes and relished in the moment as my hands reached behind her neck, pulling her lips even closer as our tongues danced with heated desire and passion. A longing that could only be quenched by her. Her arms wrapped themselves around the small of my back, causing me to moan as I felt a tingling sensation flow through my stomach. Needing air, I pulled away and smiled at my love. "God, I've missed you so much."

Liara smiled and ran her finger delicately across my lips. "So have I." She leaned up and planted a quick kiss before smiling again. "Can I come in now?"

"We can't."

Liara frowned. "Why not?"

"I have two squadmates in there and one of them gossips. It wouldn't be good for us."

"Ah...Miss Goto, right?"

I tilted my head sideways. "How did you know?"

"I'm a very good information broker." Liara grinned and I chuckle in return.

"And the sexiest, may I add."

"Flatterer."

I shrug my shoulder and stand, offering her my help. "I try."

"Well, I didn't come here with my luggage to be shooed away. Any ideas?"

"There's a fancy hotel not too far from here."

"That could work." Liara nods. "Shall we? My skycab is just over there."

"I thought you'd never ask. Let me help with your luggage."

"Aren't you going to get some clothes too?" Liara asks as we begin walking to her cab.

A mischievous smile spreads through my lips as I pull her close with my free hand. "Who says I need clothes?"

"Goddess..."

"My name is Jane Shepard but you can call me that if you'd like." I tease.

Liara sighs dreamily. "This is going to be a long night, isn't it?" She asks once I place her luggage into her car.

I laugh and corner her, pushing her up against the cab's now-closed trunk. I lick my lips and look at her with a predatory smile. "Oh baby, you have no idea."

* * *

**Aaaaand we'll stop there ;) for now. I missed writing Liara so I needed her back into my story. She'll be there for at least two more chapter so I can keep myself and other Liara fans happy :)**

**References to Citadel DLC, Star Wars and Metal Gear Solid.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter at least.**

**Quick Citadel High update to those that are reading that story as well: I haven't forgotten about that story. I'm slowly writing out my chapters and trying to figure out the storylines for the future. Normally, I would've planned ahead but that story is mostly for giggles. Though, after writing some of the chapters I've published on here, I can see the potential it could have. I apologize to those readers.**

**Please leave a review, I'd appreciate it.**

**And as always, until next time :D**


	28. Singularity

**Hello everyone!**

**Got a brand spankin new chapter for you guys to enjoy.**

**As you know, the term 'singularity' is a biotic power that power that pulls enemies towards a spherical mass effect field and this chapter is called that because there are two characters that are "pulled" into their respective relationships. You'll know what I mean when you finish reading this chapter.**

**For those that did not get the references I mentioned in last chapter, I'll explain:**

**Metal Gear: Shepard using a cardboard box to escape captivity from mercs**

**Star Wars: The mentioning of the planet called, Sullust. A mustafar-like planet that is mentioned in various Star Wars works like Rogue Squadron, Empire at War and if I remember correctly, it's briefly mentioned in Return of the Jedi**

**Citadel DLC: Grunt's C-Sec story and his fascination with noodles**

**There won't be a post-authors notes so I hope you guys enjoy this chapter**

**Please review!**

**Anyways, enough of that **

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Singularity**

**December 16, 2185**

**Citadel - Liara's Skycar - Commander Shepard - 2010 hours**

I stared at my love, watching the Citadel's neon signs illuminate Liara's blue skin, creating a shine that made her look like some illuminating angel. I was at a loss of words.

"Something on your mind, Shepard?" She looks at me with a smile before looking back on the road.

"Nope." I smiled as I repositioned myself in the seat to be more comfortable. "I just can't believe you're here."

"I saw the Galaxy News Network doing a story on your arrival here and well... I couldn't help myself." She finished with a delightful chuckle.

I hummed and with an amused smile on my face, I said, "Who knew I have that 'pulling' effect on you" I make air-quotes with I say 'pulling'.

"Hardly." Liara attempted to be serious but I could see a small blush blossom on her cheeks. Before I could reply, she spoke once more. "Ah, we're here." Liara landed the cab and the both of us climbed out and headed to the front desk. I looked around and noticed the walls with a typical white color with a moroonish color on the walls behind the kiosks. The floor was made of a creamy marmot tiles. Rieger Begonias of different colors decorated the many of the black counters and side sofa tables. I cleared my throat innocently after snatching a bouquet and presented it to Liara, who gladly accepted it with an enchanting smile.

We were greeted by an asari with a welcoming smile. She gave us our cardkey and bid us farewell and a pleasant stay. As we were on our way to the elevator that would take us to our room, I paused and said, "Why don't you go up. I'll bring up your bags."

"Very well." Liara nodded and brought the flower bouquet to her nose and smelled it. "I'll be waiting." She added seductively in a low voice which caused a shiver crawl down my spine. It took all of my strength not to fall weak from the knees or gulp the lump in my throat when Liara wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a simmering kiss on the lips. Not wanting to have her say anything more, I quickly ran out to find the cab that was taken to the hotel's parking lot. Once I found it, I opened the trunk, grabbed my lover's bags and huffed all the way back to the main lobby of the hotel. _Geez, how much stuff did she bring?_ I pouted when I dropped the five different suitcases and pressed the button to call for the elevator. Once inside, I repeatedly pushed the button that would take me up to our room like some small child. Within three floors til my destination, I placed the key between my teeth, quickly grabbed Liara's bags and stormed out, jogging to the left and six doors down until I reached our hotel room. I kneeled a bit so I can slide the cardkey inside its slot but before I could do that, the door opened, revealing a naked asari. I unconsciously dropped the bags from my fingers and the key from my lips as I looked up and down at my lover.

Liara gave me a sexy smile as she placed both of her hands on her hip.

"You...I..." I bit my lip and shook my head. Her beautifully toned body was turning my brain into putty. "Wow!"

Liara giggled and shook her head before she activated her biotics and lifted her luggage and placed them inside the room, just a few feet from the door. "Come in, Shepard."

And so I did. I couldn't dare myself to look around the room as I followed Liara like some stray puppy seeking love and attention. I watched Liara's hips sway sexually back and forth as I heard another melodic giggle. I finally gathered enough self-control and noticed the large looking luxurious bed in front of us. Liara turned and slowly began unbuckling my belt on my pants as I took my shirt off, my sports bra following shortly after. Liara kneeled and helped me take my pants off. She looked up at me and grinned, "Goddess how much I've missed you Shepard." She bit on my panties and slowly began sliding them to my ankles. I helped her a bit, shimming out of them. Liara threw it to the side and slid her hands up and down my leg. She looked up at me with lustful eyes and continued, "I've wanted to touch you for weeks."

"Well babe," I began with a shaky breath, unable to hold my excitement any longer. I tugged up on her chin, making Liara rise. As I looked into her indigo blue eyes, I smiled and kissed her with the same passion as our last kiss down in the lobby. As I pulled my lips away from my lover, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. "I'm here and I'm yours."

Liara's eyes sparkled even brighter under the violet night. "And I'm yours, Shepard. Now, Embrace Eternity!"

**December 17, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Miranda's Office - Miranda Lawson - 0500 Hours**

I stirred awake and turned my head to the left, finding it empty. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes I got out of bed after stretching myself, letting out a soft moan after I felt a satisfactory pop throughout my body. After finding my bra and panties as well as the Commander's grey shirt on the leather sofa, I put them on before going to my closet and grabbed my newly washed catsuit and headed to the shower in the Captain's Cabin.

The Cabin, as I had expected, was empty. _He's probably making his rounds. _After my shower, I made my way to discuss a certain problem with the drive core with Tali Zorah and Mister Donnelly and Miss Daniels.

"Anyone care to explain why our drive core is performing at only 95 percent?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"The Normandy was recently using its stealth technology." Tali assessed. "We encountered heavy resistance in the Imir system as we were refueling."

"Unacceptable. That was a two hours ago, according to EDI's report. We should be at full strength by now."

"I apologize Operative Lawson." Mister Donnelly responds. "We'll get the lass back to normal."

"Be sure that you do. I don't want to come back here in a few hours. You all have jobs to do. I expect that you do them." I turned to the Quarian and glared. "That means you too, Miss Zorah."

"I am well aware at what my job is, _Operative._" Tali responded with growl.

"Then do your job." Without giving the Quarian a chance to rebut, I turned on my heels and left. _Glad that's settled. Now to send my reports to The Illusive Man._

"Lawson." My commanding officer called out as he climbed up the stairs from Jack's little hole. "Everything alright?"

"Yes. I was just reminding our engineers about their responsibilities."

The Commander frowned and looked at the closed door that led towards engineering. "That wasn't necessary. They know their-"

"Yes, that's exactly what they said. However, if we are to have this ship -_your _ship- in tip top shape, then every member of our staff must be doing exactly what they are assigned to do."

The Commander shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tali is having a tough time, alright? Just give her a little bit of slack. Please?"

I sighed but nodded in agreement. "Fine but if the ship goes down, it'll be your fault."

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." He glared and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"It's my job as the ship's XO to make sure the Normandy is fit for action...and to pick up your slack from the looks of it."

"What's that supposed to mean? You of all people know I like to keep myself involved with my team."

"You're the one that was supposed to come down here but instead you were down here talking to Jack."

"Fuck you, Cheerleader!" Jack yelled from down below. "And both of you shut the fuck up. I'm trying to get some sleep."

_Irritating bitch. _Not wanting to hear her voice, I walked and headed to the elevator with my irritation boyfriend following close behind. "Miri?"

"What..." I sighed as the two of us climbed into the elevator.

"What's wrong?"

"It's going to be a long day."

"Then let me help." He offered me a small smile. "What can I do?"

"You should already know that answer to that question, _Chuck_."

"Should I?" I blinked at his soft tone. I turned to face him. He leaned up against the back wall and was grinning at me. He pushed himself off and hit the emergency stop button on the elevator, trapping me with him. "I'd like to hear it from you." He stepped closer, placing his palms up against the well behind me, trapping me under his gaze and body.

"Chuck..." I moaned as I felt the heat of his breath close to my lips.

"Hm?" He smiled. "You're losing your control over me." He added shortly after a chuckle.

I huffed a laugh and looked down at his lips then back up to his hazel eyes. "That's never going to happen." And I snaked one hand behind his neck and brought him into a simple kiss. _I'm not letting him have this. _I broke the kiss seconds later and pressed the button to the crew deck. "You best be on your best behavior, Commander." I added with my sultry wink that always caused him to inhale sharply. It was no different at this very moment. "I don't want you to visit me for the next two days." The elevator -door opened and before turning the corner I turned and grinned. "Unlike you, I have work to do."

"You're so mean to me." Charlie mock-glared.

"What are you going to do about it?" I challenged him with a smile.

"I'll make you beg for me to come back to you." The elevator doors closed in front of him and for some strange reason, his words made my skin crawl.

**Citadel - Liara's hotel room - Liara T'Soni - 0810 hours**

I had been playing with Shepard's hair for awhile now and I had forgotten how much of a deep sleeper she was. _No matter._ I smiled as I twirled her black hair around my fingers, taking a great satisfaction on how silky smooth they were. I placed a small kiss on her cheek before I rested my head on her shoulder, closing my eyes and taking in the warmth of her naked body as it touched mine.

Minutes later I heard her inhale deeply, followed by a feline-like stretch that she always does whenever the both of us had sex. She scratched her stomach and looked at me with a smile. "Morning doctor."

"Commander." I smiled back before we shared a kiss.

"You were amazing last night." Her words made me blush and a small tingling sensation in my stomach. Something that Shepard called butterflies. I rolled my eyes mentally at the memory of researching what these butterflies were. _I do not have animals flying inside my stomach._ I remembered telling myself and I giggled at the memory.

"As were you." I wiggled once I saw her arms trying to hold me. Once they were around my waist, I asked, "What are we doing today?"

"Not entirely sure. I was supposed to go to see Anderson but since you're here, it can wait. Plus, he said I could take my time in seeing him. How long are you here for?"

"Actually..." I hid my face when I felt my cheeks starting to warm up, "I was hoping to stay with you until you go back to the Normandy...to keep you company."

"Really?" I looked up at her and nervously nodded. "Fantastic! Though right now, its just me, Thane, Kasumi and Grunt that are stationed here. Charlie and the rest of the Normandy are heading to the Valhallan Threshold to help Tali with a problem she is having with the Migrant Fleet."

"What's wrong?"

"You don't know?" Shepard lifted her brows in surprise then her lips turned into a teasing smile. "I thought you knew. Cause you know, 'you're a very good information broker'."

I stared at her with a glare but punched her playfully on the shoulder. "Are you going to tell me or not."

Shepard laughed but then suddenly frowned. "Tali has been called to the Migrant Fleet because she has been accused of treason."

"What?" _That can't be right!_ "She must be innocent. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding."

"That's what Charlie and I said." Shepard agreed, "But Tali says that they don't accuse without having some sort of hard evidence to show...I just hope everything is alright."

"I wish I could do something to help. I miss being on the Normandy. Tali must be so nervous."

"Maybe you can join me when the Normandy comes back. We could take you to Illium and since Christmas is coming, maybe we can spend the holiday there. That's that I hope anyways."

"If the Commander would have me. When is the Normandy returning?"

"Charlie said five days." Shepard smiled. "I'm gonna go call my team. They must be wondering where I am."

"I'll go and take a shower." I gave my lover a lingering kiss before we briefly went our separate ways.

I grabbed a fresh set of clothes and stepped inside the shower. I turned on the hot water and sighed as the liquid touched my skin. I slowly lathered myself with the soap I brought from my apartment. I enjoyed the smell and more importantly, Shepard loved the smell.

"You clean good, doctor." Shepard whispered to me as she pressed her body against my back. "Here," she grabbed my washcloth and added more soap then began washing my body, starting down and working her way up. I closed my eyes and arched my back into her as she lingered her cleaning around my folds. My hands self-consciously began massaging my breasts and Shepard continued pleasuring me with her delicate fingers. She slid another finger inside of me and I gasped. Seconds felt like minutes as my lover increased her speed. In the back of my head, I envied humans and their ability to release without needing a partner. However, I was at ease that Shepard was here with me. I knew she wouldn't be so cruel as to stop pleasuring me.

"I'm so...close."

"Then you know what to do, love." She whispered.

"Embrace...! Embrace...!" My eyes turned black, unable to take it anymore. My knees buckled and I had to hold myself up by placing my hands up against the wall. I felt Shepard scratch her nails into my skin as she felt me come over the edge.

'I love you Liara.' Shepard said to me through her thoughts. 'I always will.'

'Until the reapers beat us.'

Sadness overtook our moment and Shepard ended the meld. "Don't say that." Jane frowned. "We won't fail. We may be alone right now but soon, everyone will see what we have been up against for the past two years. Then, they will see the light and help us." She took my hands into her own and continued, "Please don't let those thoughts linger into your mind. I don't want to lose you due to your despair. I need you to stay strong okay? Can you do that?"

I cursed at myself for thinking like this, I then smiled when Shepard finished speaking. Her strength was so beautiful that it was hard not to fall in love with her. Everyone was. I'm just lucky she chose me of all people. I nodded and gave her a kiss. "Anything for you, my love."

"Good." Shepard grinned and purred, "Now, I think it's my turn."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Crew Deck Gym - Commander Alonso - 1700 hours**

I walked into the gym, finding exactly who I wanted to be there. "Lawson." I nodded to the woman running on the treadmill.

"Commander." She breathed as ran.

Over the past few hours, I had been able to -what Miri called- pestering her with my charms. I was even bold, or stupid, as to flirt with Kelly and Amanda in front of her. She might have gotten pissed off at me -which initially wasn't my ideal plan- but I couldn't resist getting her riled up. I went to her quarters shortly after, sending her my best moves, which gained an endearing blush, making her even angrier at me. And I was fine with that.

I had begun my daily routine with some meditation on the sparring mat before doing working on various weight training stations. I glanced at Miranda and was surprised to see that she was still here. After minutes of working off a sweat, I decided to take my shirt off. I looked at my girlfriend to gauge a reaction and frowned when she ignored me. I decided to join her on the treadmill next to her and began with a jog.

"Is taking your shirt off _really_ that necessary?" Miranda did a double take which caused her to stumble but she quickly regained her composure.

"What?" I shrugged innocently. "I was getting sweaty! Unlike you, I need to do a little extra."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've only seen you on the treadmill. Clearly you don't do anything else." _Come on, take the bait._

Miranda slowed the speed of her treadmill and matched mine. "You don't think I'm strong enough?" I shrugged nonchalantly in response, raising my own speed to steady run. "Hmph!" Miranda groaned and turned it up a notch, matching my speed.

"It's not a competition Miranda. If you can't handle me, don't do it." I said steadily.

"You want to see what I can really do? Get your sorry ass to the sparring mat."

_Hook, line and sinker baby._ I grinned and I hopped off. "I've been waiting for this. Let's go, princess." I went to my bag and began my prep, taping my hands with a giddy smile on my face. I looked at Miranda and she was doing the same, minus the smile. I put on my fingerless gloves and began walking towards the sparring mat at the back of the room, where Miranda paced back and forth. "Rules?" I limbered up.

"None."

"Fair enough. I've always wanted a little payback after our fight on the Citadel from way back."

"Well you've going to wait a little longer!" Miranda rush forward and tried to jab at me with punches but she was too predictable with the rage she was going through. And so she tried kicks. Some which connected to my ribcage which caused me to back away and retreat. "Scared you're getting beat by a girl, Commander?" Miranda grinned.

I snarled and brought my fists up. "Bring it!" _I won't let her win again._

The both of us hopped around the mat, trying to try the best way to proceed. I feigned one side and did a low roundhouse kick the other way that caused her to fall hard on the mat. That was my one opportunity. I quickly pounced and straddled her grabbing her hands when she tried to punch me and held them tightly above her head. I leaned down and teased her, "You're sexy while you're on your back."

"Sexist pig!" She leaned up to headbutt me hard, causing me to lose my hold over her. With two punches, one in the stomach and one in the jaw, she pushed me off with a kick and I stumbled back, clearing the cobwebs in my head. Unfortunately for me, it was all the time my opponent needed as she began throwing a series of punches. I tried blocking but then she began using her biotics, intensifying the attacks she threw at me.

I flared my biotics to form up a barrier when I saw her trying to warp me. When that didn't work, she resumed her series of punches and throwing kicks into the mix, which I managed to block or dodge most of them. I caught her leg mid-kick and tackled her to the ground and straddled her once more. This time instead of saying something, I leaned downed and forced a kiss.

"MMMM-MMMMMPH!" Miranda tried to push me off once our lips touched but they weakened once I inserted my tongue inside of her mouth. "Mmm" she moaned and grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me in closer. I moaned as Miranda wrapped her legs around my waist, squeezing me into place. _An unnecessary tactic. _I wasn't going anywhere even if I wanted to.

"Damn it!" Miranda whimpered when I began biting and sucking on her neck. "I thought I could keep you away and have better self-control."

"Well I guess you were wrong." I said between tender bites and kisses on her creamy skin. _Looks like I win. _I grinned as my hands pulled on her sweaty hair, causing even softer moans from my lover. I stopped and sat up with a grin on my face. "How about we continue this in my cabin? Be there in five."

Miranda groaned at my sudden halt. "Fine but this doesn't mean you won."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, princess. I know I won." I wink before standing up and helping my girlfriend off of the floor. "I'll see you in a bit," I leaned and sucked on her ear. "you are _mine_ tonight."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Operative Lawson's Quarters - Miranda Lawson - 2300 hours**

_Six hours. _I smiled as I re-crossed one leg over the other, sipping on my coffee as I watched the door to my cabin. _Perhaps he fell asleep. _I shrugged my shoulders and sank deeper into my bed and closed my eyes as I listened to Mozart's Fifth. _At the very least I completed all of my work I wanted to do. I finally get to relax. _Then, out of nowhere, I felt guilt. I opened my eyes and frowned.

"EDI, where's the Commander?"

"Commander Alonso is in the cargo bay, sitting inside the shuttle." EDI responded in her usually calming voice. I swung my legs over the bed and placed my coffee cup on my bedside table. I stood and went to my drawer and got into my catsuit before heading down into the cargo bay.

I walked the short distance to the shuttle, finding my boyfriend sitting on the pilot's chair just simply staring ahead. I walked to stand beside him but he seemed to ignore me. I touched his shoulder and jumped out of his gaze. "Oh...hey."

"Hey." I gave him a small smile and sat in the co-pilot's chair. "Are you alright?" But once again, he didn't respond and I became concerned. I furrowed my brows with worry as I observed his troubled state. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he stared ahead into the Normandy's bay door. His shoulders hunched as he sat in the chair. I reached for his hand and he jumped once more. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm alright. Just tired."

"You look like you haven't slept."

"Well, I was waiting for you."

I looked down on the shuttle's metallic floor. "I'm sorry. I know you have been trying your best in seducing-"

"Seems that I failed." He interrupted, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Whatever. I wasn't in the mood for sex anyways."

"Liar."

He huffed but smiled at me. "You got me."

"...You can talk to me, Chuck." I cupped his chin after he went back into his distant stare. "What's wrong."

"I had another nightmare." He said softly.

"You never do tell me what you dream about." I got up to sit on his lap and asked, "Is it about me?" I stroked his cheeks with the pad of my thumb andI was relieved that it seemed to calm him down a bit.

"I don't want you to worry about me. Plus, it's nothing you can help me with."

His words pierced my heart. "I want to help you. I'm your girlfriend after all." His eyes looked down and he shook his head. He mumbled something but unfortunately I heard the words that came out from his mouth. _He wants more than that. _"What are you saying?"

His breathing hitched and he looked up at me with horror. He gently pushed me off and stood. "You didn't hear anything!" Then he stormed off.

"The hell?" I said to myself and chased after him. He wasn't able to reach for the elevator as I gripped his hand and turned him around to face me. "What do you mean?" I asked softly.

He swiped his hand away and glared, "Forget it! You told me you never wanted to so just...just leave me in peace!"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about? What do you mean I told you that I never...want to..." I paled as I stared at his saddened face. _No. You don't mean that!_

* * *

_'Chuck? What do you think about marriage?' I ask as the both of us are in my bed, holding each other._

_The commander stiffens and stares at me. 'M-marriage? I-well erm, heh! I uhh never thought about it until recently.' He clears and throat and scratches his shoulder nervously. 'What about you? Ever thought about settling down?'_

_'Me?' I feel my stomach and cheeks tingle and warm from the way he countered and asked me my own question. 'I was never in a situation where it was possible. Quite honestly, I think it's stupid.' I fiddle with my thumbs as I stare anywhere but my boyfriend._

_'Oh...I-I see. Yeah, I think it's kind of silly as well. Who needs jewelry to let someone know how much you care about each other...Right?'_

* * *

I shake my head and point an accusatory finger at the Commander. "N-now wait a minute! Y-you said you didn't want to get married!"

"That's because I was agreeing with you!" It was now his turn to point. "I thought that maybe if I agreed with you, I could somehow change your mind."

I stared at him with a confused look on my face. _What? _"What kind of logic is that? Don't be absurd!"

"So let me get this straight. You don't want to get married, but you want to have a kid? That doesn't work in this day in age anymore Lawson! I refuse to have kids unless we get married."

"I don't want to get married! And nothing you say will _ever_ change my bloody mind!" I shoved him out of the way and stepped into the elevator, leaving the Commander looking at me with an injured frown as he sat on the ground. I nervously paced back in forth as the elevator took me up to the crew deck. _He wants to get married? _ _No! H-he just wants to control me. Right? He just want his last name associated with me! Well... I-I won't allow it!. _Then his frown from moments later burned in to my mind. I scratched and pulled my hair in frustration all the way towards my quarters before activating my omni-tool and locking my door. I continued to pace the length of my room as I pondered at the thought of me being tied down to some ridiculous idea like marriage. I stopped and stared out into space through my window to seek answers.

_Do I really want to get married? Could I ever marry the charming, charismatic, egotistical, cocky, idiotic and loving Commander Alonso? Would I?_ I breathed a shaky breath and looked down at my hands. They were trembling. _How can **one** man pull me in like this? How did it ever come to this? I've lost control of my life! And it scares me. _Tears slowly began to fall down my face as I stared at my own reflection through the window.

We've hurt each other more times than I could count but we've also been there for one another. I wasn't willing to do the first part of that statement again. _I just want the best for him. He deserves it and so much more. _I scoffed at myself. "What idiotic bunch of hormones thought this was a good time to ever bloody fall in love."

"Miri?" I sighed and quickly wiped my tears. _Of course. Why do I even bother locking my damn door?_ I sniff and turn to face him. "Look, let's just pretend that conversation ever happened. Okay? Let's just move past it and lock it away. I don't want to-"

"Yes."

"Yes?" He blinks and tilts his head to the side. "I don't follow." I walk towards him and take his hands in mine. "God, you're trembling! Wh-What's wrong?" _There's no going back. _I hear a distant voice saying to me. _I don't care._ I respond back before taking a deep breath. _I want this._ "Miranda?"

I lean forward and give him a tender kiss on the lips. I lean back and stare into his eyes and say the words I would have never even _dreamed_ of saying.

"Marry me."


	29. Politics & Pleasure

**Hey everyone!**

***blah**blah* tough few weeks *blah**blah***

**Anyways, since I currently havent gotten any new updates with Citadel High, I decided to put in a little extra FemShepxLiara stuff into this chapter, to please those that are reading both of my 'in-progress' stories.**

**A sprinkle of ShepxLiara smut in this chapter and probably on the next chapter as well... :)**

* * *

**Politics & Pleasure**

**December 17, 2185**

**SSV Normandy - Operative Lawson's Quarters - Commander Alonso - 2330 hours**

"Y-you're playing with my feelings, Miri." I glared at my teary-eyed girlfriend. I shook my head. _She's pranking me. I just know it._ My glare dampened when she turned away and sobbed uncontrollably. I stared with my lips parted, realizing that she was undeniably serious. "You want to marry me?" I slowly walked towards her to comfort her. "Hey...I-" I couldn't finish my sentence as Miranda turned once more to face me and tightly wrapped herself around me, still crying on my shoulder. "Shhh." I cooed, running my hands up and down her back to try to calm her down but it only made her cry even harder.

"Hold me." She pleaded, unable to control her feelings. "Please!"

It broke my heart. And so I obeyed and I held her tighter for what seemed like hours. Eventually, she had no more tears to shed and I still held her. I swayed her as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I leaned forward to press our foreheads together before giving her a warm smile. "Look, I uhh." I paused to take a deep breath. "I hope this isn't official. I-I want to do this right-proposing to you, I mean." Miranda wordlessly nodded as we continued to sway. "God!" I chuckled, "Who would've thought I'd change your mind."

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"You're ruining the moment."

We both stopped our swaying to look at each other before sharing a laugh. We met halfway and shared a deep and loving kiss. _Mister and Misses Alonso. _I smiled brightly as I brushed her hair behind her ear. _I like that. _"I love you." We both said in unison before we shared a smile. "Let's go to bed." Miranda added, "Your quarters?"

I smiled, taking my future wife's hand and we rode up the elevator to my spacious cabin. We stripped out of clothes on our way to my bed before climbing into it. I looked into Miranda's blue-ish grey eyes and smiled. "I'll do everything I can to make you the happiest woman in the galaxy."

Miranda slithers into my arms and rested her head on my chest, drawing gentle circles on my chest with her fingers. "You already are making me the happiest woman in the galaxy." She looked up at me and gave me three quick kisses. "Sweet dreams, Chuck."

"Sweet dreams, Miri."

**The Next Morning...**

_We'll be docking with the Migrant Fleet in a few hours. _As much as I wanted to take Miranda there with me, I knew that it was a bad idea, given the fact that she was still, regretfully, The Illusive Man's second-in-command. The Quarians have a dreadful past with Cerberus and I won't let anything bad happen to her. I went down to the mess hall, finding Tali and Garrus having breakfast together.

"Hey you two." I sat in one of the seats across from them. Garrus sat with one datapad in one hand while eating with the other.

"Charlie." Garrus put his pad down and gave me a nod. "I heard you and Miss Lawson had a little match in the gym. I'm sorry I missed it."

"Well, I kind of got a little inspired by our chat yesterday." I grinned when Tali looked at Garrus with a curious tilting of the head.

"Uhh, what chat?" Garrus cleared his throat awkwardly.

_Oh this will be fun. _"Oh you know! You told me a story about how you and a female turian had a little match on that ship you served on. You mentioned you had the reach and she had...what was it? Flexibility?" Garrus choked on his turian food before he slowly turned to look at Tali, who was still watching him closely. _If I know Tali, she's giving him the death stare and if Garrus could sweat, he would be doing that riiiight about now._ I grinned as I observed the two.

"Is...is-is it a little warm in here?" Garrus asked as he scooted a few inches away from the young quarian.

"Anyways, then you mentioned that you two _finished_ your little dispute in private. Is that right, Garrus?"

"I-erm yeeeaah. I believe I uh said that." Garrus lifted his datapad and his mandibles twitched in a fake-surprise. "Oh well would you look at the time! I'll just get going now. I've got to recalibrate the main guns, excuse me!" Garrus quickly stormed off and went back into his little workstation in his cave past the cryo pods.

Tali sighed and went back to eating her protein paste.

"You feeling alright Tali?" I asked as I ate my food.

"Hm? Oh, no not really." Tali breathed sadly. "I haven't gotten much sleep lately. I'm nervous."

I reached over and covered her hand with mine, giving her a supportive squeeze. "We'll fix this Tali. I promise."

Tali nodded and said, "Thank you. I'm glad I could rely on you. You've been a really good friend to me after all these years."

"Don't mention it." I smiled, pulling my hand away. "I'm glad I can be of help to you."

"I'm going to be down in engineering until we reach the fleet. To get my mind distracted."

"Go ahead. I'll let you know when we are minutes out." I give her a smile as she stands from her seat and heads towards the elevator. After finishing breakfast alone, I wash my things and head up to my cabin, finding my angel draped over with my bed sheets.

"Morning, _Commander._" Miranda purred as she stretched her muscles, causing the sheet to cascade down to her lap, revealing her breasts and tight stomach. I remained silent as I walked down to my bed and crawled beside her.

"Morning, sweetie." I kissed her nose, gaining an arched brow from my girlfriend.

"Sweetie? I'm a sweetie now?" She rolls her eyes, "I much prefer princess than sweetie."

I bit my lip to suppress a laugh and kissed her on the lips this time. "As you wish, princess."

"You're such an ass." She gives me a sideways glance that melted me where I lied and I couldn't help myself but stare at her gorgeous body. Every inch of her was designed for perfection. I loved everything about her.

Her creamy white skin, the softness of her skin under my touch; her beautiful steel blue eyes; her long, cascading dark hair; her beautiful hourglass figure; her cotton-soft full lips; her scent of lavender and that Australian voice that was deadly as it was sexy. She is the definition of perfection, beauty, a strong woman. A femme fatale. _And she is mine._ I grinned internally at the low odds of finding someone like her, let alone date her. I thank whoever is up there for the gift I was presented two years ago over at Flux on the Citadel.

"What's on your mind?" She asked as she sensed something in me.

"Just thinking about how we met." I blushed and continued, "And a fool I made out of myself that night."

"That you did Commander." Miranda grinned. "Should we tell our children that story?"

I rolled my eyes and groaned, "I hope they never ask. In my defense, Shepard pushed me...and I was drunk."

"Being drunk doesn't help your case but yes, Shepard did push you."

I felt my cheeks burn even more. "God that was embarrassing. Though, I'm glad you allow me to touch you again." I scooted closer to her and began exploring her body, grazing my fingers on her well defined stomach, gaining purrs from the woman of my dreams.

"When are we arriving at the fleet?"

A huffed a smile. "Trying to change the subject so you can have a little control, Lawson?" Miranda rolled her eyes and began to say something but I kissed, stopping her dead in her tracks. The both of us rolled in the sheets as we enrolled in a passionate make-out session. We broke away and I found myself on top of her. "We'll be there in three hours."

"Don't you have anything else you should be doing?" Miranda mock-glared at me when I simply stared at her for a few minutes. I shrugged my shoulders innocently.

"Other than you?" I winked, lowering myself between her legs. "Nope."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Normandy Cockpit - Commander Alonso - 1000 hours**

Tali paced nervously in the cockpit as I made my way towards her, tugging on the creases of my suite. I leaned myself against the wall, observing as the Normandy made its way past the foggy nebula to come in contact with the vast variety of Quarian ships. Small frigates to large cruiser-like machines, all protecting the massively large ship with a large round sphere that rotated in a snail's pace.

"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya, requesting permission to dock with the Rayya."

We wait in silence and I took the time to calm Tali down by gently squeezing her shoulder. She turned to me and nodded in appreciation and she stopped pacing.

"Our systems have you flagged as a Cerberus vessel. Verify." A male voice responded back firmly, not with a malicious intent to hurt us but if Tali weren't here, we would probably have to flee.

"After time adrift among the stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began." Tali performed the phrase and we were immediately granted access to dock. I hear Tali's cracked breath and I grab her hands.

"You'll be fine." I reassure her before I put on a rebreather that was located on the compartment next to the airlock before the both of us walked inside the decontamination chamber. The doors swish open and the both of us walk into the Rayaa. I look around as see a trio of Quarians walking towards us. The one in the middle tells us that we are expected for awhile. I learn that the Captain of the Neema, an Admiral Gerrel, can't speak for her during the trial. In the end we are escorted by armed Quarians down the narrow halls of the ship, passing through various whispering Quarians that either look at Tali with a saddened or hateful expressions. As a result, Tali looks down in shame as the both of us follow our guards.

"Aunti Raan!" Tali cries out and runs to a female Quarian. The two share an embrace that warms me. Tali turns to face me and cheerfully, she continues. "Alonso vas Normandy, this is Admiral Shala Raan vas Tonbay. She's a friend of my father."

"Pleasure to meet you." I give the admiral a smile and she returns it with a nod before looking at Tali.

"I am glad you finally arrived, Tali vas Normandy. I could only delay them for so long."

Tali's brief happy demeanor faltered and she tilted her head. "You called me vas Normandy."

My brows narrowed with concern. "I have a feeling that isn't a good sign."

Admiral Raan looks down and shakes her head before looking back up at us. "I'm afraid not, Captain. The Admiralty Board has ruled to have you trialed under that name, as you departed from the Neema." Raan pauses before twiddling with her hands nervously. "I'm afraid that the decision makes Tali look guilty already."

"Keelah..."

I wrap one arm around Tali to console her while addressing Raan. "Since you're an admiral, are you part of the trial?"

Raan shakes her head. "Given my relationship with Tali and her family, I am forced to recuse myself."

"I assume my father had to do the same." Tali sighed.

Raan shifted her head back down and didn't say anything for a brief moment. "You'll see when we head inside."

_Raan's tone didn't sound good. Not one bit. _"I guess we should get started...and if it's alright, I'd like to speak for Tali as a defense councilor." I felt Tali's body stiffen and I gave her a gentle squeeze.

Raan nodded, "As Tali's captain, you are entitled to do so."

Tali looks up at me, her eyes sparkling through her violet visor. "You'd do that? For me?"

"Of course. You're a part of my crew. And a friend. I'd be honored." Tali's eyes sparkled even brighter before looking down and giving me a shy nod. I smile and look at the Quarian admiral. "Alright, let's go."

Admiral Raan, along with our escort, leads us down a short flight of stairs before we enter the atrium, plant life adorn the ship's walls. Quarian's scriptures tattoo the very same worn out walls. _I wonder how long this ship has been out here. It looks old, considering the moss and ivy traveling up towards the ceiling. _I shake my head at the antique, yet surprisingly beautiful architecture of the ship and look ahead to face the grand stand of Quarian admirals that are waiting patiently on their small stage. Quarians that were talking around the room begin walking towards us, creating the audience for the trial. As Admiral Raan left us and made her way towards the stage, Tali and I looked at each other. _I could tell she's nervous, I don't blame her but I'll do everything I can to prove Tali's innocence._ Tali saw that before taking a deep breath.

"This conclave is brought to order." Admiral Raan began, standing behind three other Admirals; two men and one woman, each showing different body languages. "Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai."

An echo reverberated as everyone repeated the Admiral's last two words. "Keelah se'lai!"

"The accused, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has come with her captain to defend herself against the charge of treason."

"Objection!" One of the male Quarian Admirals with a red accent on his suit cried out. "A _human_ has no business at a hearing involving sensitive military matters."

"Then you should not have declared Tali of the Normandy, Admiral Koris." Raan spoke calmly. "As captain of the Normandy, Captain Alonso has every right to be here. Therefore, he must stay."

"Well, actually it's Commander Alonso but I see your point." _Hmmm...the rank of Captain suits me better anyways. I should probably have that fixed once I return to Council space...if the Alliance accepts me back, of course...hell, even Admiral sounds good. Focus!_ I shake my head clear of my rambling.

I see Koris' eyes narrow at me before conceding, "Objection withdrawn."

"Very well." I see Raan subtly stand a little straighter at that before turning her attention back at me. "Alonso vas Normandy, your crew member, Tali'Zorah stands accused of treason. Will you speak for her?"

I stand forward and stand at attention. "If it helps Tali, absolutely. However, she remains Tali'Zorah vas Neema, a proud member of the fleet. I regret that her _captain_ is forbidden to speak for her today."

Koris steps forward, as if insulted and says, "Nobody is forbidden from anything, Commander! It is a simple-"

The admiral beside him, interrupts, also insulted but by his fellow comrade's words. "Lie to them if you must, Koris but don't lie to me and expect me to stay silent! The human is right!"

_I have a name! _I roll my eyes internally and bite back a growl.

"Admirals please!" Raan settles her compatriots down. "Alonso's willingness to represent Tali'Zorah in this hearing is appreciated. Tali," she looks at my shivering friend, "you are accused of bringing active Geth to the Migrant Fleet. What say you?"

_Active Geth?_ My brows lift in surprise. My brows then sink as I look at the admirals with disbelief. "How could've Tali brought active Geth to the Fleet while serving on the Normandy?"

"To clarify, Alonso," The female admiral to the right of Koris finally speaks, her sensual voice causing a shiver to crawl down my spine as she continues, "Tali isn't accused of bringing back entire units, only parts that could spontaneously reactivate."

"But Admiral Xen, I would never send back active Geth to the Fleet!" Tali defends herself while nervously wringing her hands. "Everything I sent was disabled and harmless."

"Then please explain how Geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!" Koris shouts, causing a collective gasp from everyone except the Admirals.

_What?_

"Wh-what are you talking about? What happened!" Tali cries out, her voice crackling at Koris' revelation.

Gerrel sighs and replies softly. "...As far as we can tell, Tali, the Geth have killed everyone on the Alarei...including your father."

"No...! Oh, Keelah..." The saddened voice of Tali breaks my heart and I can't restrain myself from pulling her into another embrace. "It can't be..."

I gently pulled her away and turned to the admirals in a rage. "You all have a lot of nerve! Why did you keep that from her! I thought the Quarians valued family! How do you justify springing this on her in the middle of a fucking trial! In front of all of these people!"

All four admirals look down in sadness before Raan speaks once more. "Our apologies. Tali _should_ have been informed."

"Charlie." Tali says softly, trying to fight the sobs that are trying to get passed her. "We have to take back the Alarei. I have to know what happened."

"The safest course would be to simply destroy the ship, but if you're looking for an honorable death instead of exhile-"

I interrupt Koris by putting him in a stasis field. "I would tread carefully and not finish that sentence, _Admiral._ We are not going to die on the Alarei, _THAT_, I can assure you."

"I am looking for my father, you bosh'tet!"

I grin and look at Tali before giving her a wink. "Couldn't have said it any better." I remove Koris from the stasis field and he glares at me but says nothing. _Asshole._

"You intend to retake the Alarei from the Geth?" Raan speaks with shock "...This proposal is quite dangerous."

"You think Tali is helping the Geth! I'm sure killing a few will help her cause." I say through gritted teeth, still angry for causing my Quarian to suffer.

"We do not accuse Tali of aiding the Geth," Koris clears his throat when I throw daggers at him; "we accuse Tali of carelessness and endangering the fleet."

"Then it is decided. You will attempt to retake the Alarei. You are hereby given the leave to depart the Rayya. A shuttle will be waiting at the secondary docking hangar." Raan wrings her hands together and looks at Tali. "Be safe, Tali. This hearing will resume upon your return, or upon determination that you have been killed in action."

"I've had enough of this. Come on Tali, let's regroup and head back to the Normandy." I grab Tali's hand and take her back. "The fuck is wrong with them? Holding that kind of information. Unacceptable! I suspected Raan was holding something back but I didn't expect that." As we approached the Normandy docking bay and headed inside the decontamination chamber, I brought Tali into a hug. Tali couldn't hold on anymore, and burst into tears. "God, Tali...I'm so sorry."

"I hate this!" Tali clung onto me, holding for dear life. I held her for what seemed like forever until she stopped crying. "I don't know what I'll do if my father is really dead."

"Don't think like that. Come on, let's suit up and get to the Alarei."

"R-right. And Charlie...thanks."

"Have I ever let you down?" I give Tali a warm smile, that causes her to jump up slightly. _Hope that was a blush._ "I'll be down shortly." I give her one last smile before I head up to my cabin to get into my armor.

**The Citadel - Shepard and Liara's Hotel Room - Liara T'Soni - 1200 hours**

I bit my lip and whimpered once I ended our meld, the both of us panting into each other's necks, our bodies covered with perspiration. Shepard pressed her lips with mine as our bodies pressed close.

"I'm glad you brought this." Shepard purred, settling down next to me while draping one of her legs over my hip while she began playing with the sex toy that was on her person that I brought for her to use on me. "I was a little disappointed when my old one was destroyed with the Normandy SR-1."

"Shepard!" I said softly, hiding my blush away from her, causing Jane to giggle.

"What? Don't tell me you don't love it when I fucked you with it all those years ago in my quarters." Her index on her left hand began lazily trailing down my stomach, causing me to gasp and look at her predatory smile. "Granted this one is a little thinner but it's still thick enough to please you. Hell you scream like you enjoy it, love. Plus...this one has a sensory module at the base, which helps me get off too." I looked down towards the long phallus that was still attached to Shepard's body, still dripping wet from my juices. "You want more...don't you?" She began stroking it with the hand that was previously making his way towards my lower folds. "You're still looking at it." My eyes darted upwards instantly into my lover's dark blue eyes. There was a raging fire in them, much like they were when they were green, as we stared at one another. She brought up her hand from her erect member and began sucking her index and middle finger, moaning with delight while causing me to blush and stare. "You taste _sooooo_ delicious babe. Want some?"

Without thinking, I found myself nodding at the seductress that next to me. "Please." Shepard giggled and slipped her fingers inside my mouth and I moaned as well, finding a delightful taste. Then, Shepard leaned in and together we began kissing once more.

"Save some for me." She murmured before sliding her tongue inside my mouth.

_Goddess..._

"I know." Shepard pulled back and winked. "After all these melds, it's like I know what you're thinking." Before I knew it, I felt something slide inside of me, causing me to moan and arch my back. "And I know you were thinking of this."

"Shepard, I..." I tried to push her off. _This is too soon but it feels amazing._ "More! More!" Shepard giggled and licked her lips before she complied with my request, leaning down to kiss me as she accelerated her thrusts into me. "Yes! Shepard!" I closed my eyes as I wrapped myself tightly around my lover's body.

Then, everything stopped. I opened my eyes and looked at Shepard, finding an evil grin play across her lips as her thick toy slid out of me. "I think that's it for now."

_What? _"What? No! Please! Don't stop!" I whimpered as I tried to pull Shepard back but she was stronger. "But-"

"Shhhh." Shepard cooed. "We're going out."

"Out? But we were having so much fun in here." I pouted, gaining a bright smile from my lover that melted my heart.

"If you behave," Jane leaned in and began kissing my neck, "we'll continue where we left off."

I frowned and sighed. "You're evil."

"Aw hey, I'm a good girl." Shepard winked and began unstrapping her toy. "Now let's take a shower. _No funny business,_ got it?"

"Where are we going?" I asked just as she was heading to the bathroom. She paused and looked at me with a smile.

"It's a surprise."

**The Alarei - Commander Alonso - 1214 hours**

"Fucking assholes!" I seethed as plasma wound burned through my armor, stinging my shoulder. "Fuck!" I winced as I took cover behind a counter and blindly shot over my shoulder with my pistol while I stretched my legs out in front of me.

"You alright?" Came a collective voice of Tali, Garrus and Amanda moments later after the squad eliminated the threat of Geth Hunters and soldiers.

"I'm fine just give me a sec." I replied as I rubbed medi-gel on my shoulder. "I hate Hunters." I let out a satisfying moan as the medi-gel did its job. I pulled myself off of the ground and reloaded my weapons, finding spare thermal clips on the ground and injecting them into my weapons while making my way towards Amanda as she was administering medi-gel on her arm. "You alright?" I ask.

"Tis but a scratch!" Amanda gives me a slight smile.

"You say that now, but that fucker is going to burn later. _Trust me._" I sigh in defeat. "Looks like we'll be heading straight to the med bay once we get home."

"You know, I was just-"

"Father!"

The young human engineer and I whip our heads, finding Tali running down the hall and a turian running after her. Tali crouched down and held a dead male Quarian's body in her small arms, rocking him back and forth while shaking her head. Amanda and I jump over counters and run towards the dextro duo and stop when I hear Tali's heartbreaking sobbing words.

"You wouldn't just die like this! You always had a plan! Some sort of medical stasis program. You can't be dead. I-"

I looked at Garrus who hung his head down in sadness. I nudged him and nodded to Tali. He took the hint and placed a hand on Tali's shoulders.

I rolled my eyes internally. _Garrus is smooth with the ladies huh? _But before I could correct the suave Tuarian, Tali stood and clung himself to Garrus and sobbed harder. Garrus awkwardly hugged her back and I couldn't help but smile. I turned to Amanda and she winked back at me, throwing a small nod at the end.

"I'm so sorry." Tali sniffed as she pulled away from Garrus rather reluctantly. "I'm sorry for dragging you all into this."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Garrus cooed before Tali kneeled down and grazed her father's helmet.

"Maybe he left a message for you." Amanda suggested. Tali nodded and activated his omni-tool. A small avatar of Tali's father appeared as hovered just above his dead body.

"Tali, if you are listening to this...then I am dead." He spoke in short labored breaths, gently holding his ribs. "The Geth have gone active and the only way to shut them down is through the bridge. There is a main hub there where their VI processes are located. Ensure that Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen see the data. I am sorry for everything Tali...I wish I never involved you into any of this. I love you my darling daugh-"

The transmission ends abruptly, seeing Rael'Zorah run away from something. Tali's head looks down but steels herself from anymore crying. "Thanks dad."

"He knew you'd come." I touch her shoulder and give it a squeeze. "He was trying to help you. It's not perfect, but it's what he could do with what he had."

"I don't know what's worse, Charlie...Thinking he never really cared, or thinking that he did and that this was the only way he could show it." Tali shook her head and readied her shotgun with newfound determination. "But _I _cared. And _I_ am here. And we are ending this!"

I readied my own shotgun and took the lead, traveling up the stairs that would take the team and me to the bridge. Once there, I cursed silently as the four of us took cover. _A_ _Geth Prime but fortunately it's alone...I hope. _I looked to my team and they nodded, know what I wanted from them. The three did a chain overload, annihilating the large Prime's shields before we began blasting it with bullets.

It never stood a chance.

And so we disabled the Geth network. All while learning the truth to all of this which made sense after the countless of Geth platforms we had destroyed on the Alarei. Rael'Zorah was creating a brand new form of Geth. A platform that was able to reach full sapience in order to perform weapons tests. Everything was done behind Tali's back. Tali's father _is _a criminal.

I remained silent, except for the order the head back to the shuttle. I was sad to say that I was pondering on my decision to whether or not to tell the Admirals the truth. They deserved to know what happened and the dangers they would have faced if things got even more out of hand. But Tali...she would never forgive me if I told the Admirals about what Rael'Zorah was. A traitor to the fleet.

_I don't want that._ I stared down at the shuttle's floor as the Quarian pilot took us back to the Rayya. _I don't want to lose my friend. _I looked up and saw that Tali staring at me with caution. I averted my gaze and looked back down to the very spot I was looking at before. I chuckled darkly to myself. _The responsibilities of command._

A silent ride and a few awkward glances later, my squad and I stepped into the Rayya, hearing that the Admirals were getting impatient. "Let's go guys!" I ordered and we sprinted our way back inside the atrium, shoving aside a few of the audience members in order to stand in front of the Admirals. "I'm glad you all decided to wait for us to come back." I said sarcastically, crossing my arms over my chest. "In any event, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy saved the Alarei. I sincerely hope this has showed Tali's loyalty to the fleet."

"Her loyalty was never in doubt. Only her judgment." Koris spoke.

"Did you find anything on the Alarei that could clarify what happened?" Gerrel asked in a neutral tone.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Charlie...please..." Tali pleaded but I already made up my mind.

I gripped the handrail for a brief moment before taking another deep breath. _I hope this works..._ I pushed myself off and pointed an accusatory finger at the Admiralty board. "Tali's contributions to the fleet are the _only_ evidence you need." _They better take the bait or else this will turn badly for Tali. _"Come on Tali, we're leaving." I pulled Tali by the arm and began making our way up the stairs.

"What?" Koris exclaimed with both shock and confusion seeped in his voice. "This is a formal proceeding!" I smiled underneath my death mask and turned to face the Admirals, letting go of Tali's hand and steeled myself.

"You are wrong, Koris. This is a sham! You're trying to build sympathy for the Geth to forestall the war effort! I've seen your reports."

"What? I-This is-"

But I interrupted Koris' ramble and pointed at Gerrel. "And _you_! All you want is messy experiments covered up so you can throw your fleets at the Geth!" Much like Koris, Gerrel stammered as well. "Do whatever you want with your toy ships but I'm leaving _my_ crew out of all of the political bullshit! We have no new evidence. You can accept Tali's word or you can exile the woman that saved the Citadel from the Geth. I can assure you that you will make a lot of Quarians angry if you do."

Raan and Xen sighed, shaking their heads before Raan spoke. "Are the Admirals prepared to render judgement." Xen was the first to nod, activating her omni-tool and submit her vote, then Gerrel and finally Koris, though more reluctantly.

"Tali'Zorah," Raan spoke once more. "in light of your history of service, we do not find sufficient evidence to convict. You are cleared of all charges." Tali breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. Even I exhaled, not knowing I sucked it in. "And Commander Alonso," Raan looked at me and activated her omni-tool. "please accept these gifts in appreciation for you taking the time to represent one of your people."

I scoffed. "If you appreciate me, then bloody listen." I paused blushed, finding solitude behind my helmet. _Damn it Miri. _I shook my head faintly and continued. "The Reapers are coming. I'm going to need your help to stop them. _Please_, don't throw away your lives against the Geth."

"Thank you, Commander. I hope this board carefully considers your advice." Koris spoke, his voice sounded condescending." I growl in frustration, knowing that the admirals will dismiss my warning someday.

"This hearing is concluded. Go in peace, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Keelah se'lai."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Cockpit - Commander Alonso - 1245 hours**

"Joker take us to the Citadel." I growl as pushed through the CIC, removing my chest and shoulder plates and throwing them on the ground. "And have someone clean this up! NOW!" Kelly jumped as I yelled just beside her.

I ignored her yelp and stomped inside the elevator and made my way down to the crew deck and walked to the medbay. I stomped to the cot and waited for Karin to arrive. Amanda showed up moments later, wincing and touching her arm. She sat in the cot next to me but didn't say a word.

The door swung open and Chakwas stepped in with a stern look on her face. My anger faded and switched to a son's disappointment. "Yeah, yeah. I know." I sighed. "Just patch me up. I'm tired and want to nap. Just spent way too much time dealing with politics that I am in no mood to do anything."

"Very well. Hold still."

**Citadel - Ryuusei Sushi Bar - Commander Shepard - 1300 hours**

"Thank you. This looks great." I smiled at the female waiter who returned it kindly and walked away to help other patrons at the bar. I turned to the large sushi boat filled with different assortment of unagi, nigiri, ebi, and earth-western style rolls. I looked back up at my lover who sat across the table from me, looking around cutely, smiling at the pool of fish swimming below and above us. I stared dreamily at my adorable asari as she jumped excitedly on her seat, watching the fish swim from one side of the room to the other.

"Goddess this place is amazing!" Liara finally looked at me with a smile. "Can we come again tomorrow?"

I couldn't sustain my giggle any longer as I grabbed my chopsticks and dibbed into our shared boat. "After seeing you behave like a child, we might." Liara blushed and looked at our food curiously. "Eat up."

Liara looked at me and frowned. "What's that on your hands?"

"Chopsticks." I popped an octopus roll in my mouth, "I remember showing you how to use these years ago. Don't tell me you forgot."

Liara blushed and looked down at her twiddling thumbs. "I may have forgotten. C-can you show me again?"

"Of course." I smiled and stood, walking over to stand behind my lover. "Now," I whispered next to her, "pay attention this time. You want to hold one chopstick like this...That's it. Then with the other, you would use your index to move it up and down...perfect! Now pick up the California rolls." I watched as Liara gingerly pick up the delicious roll and put it in her mouth. "Good girl." I purred and kissed her violet lips as my fingers traveled up and down her exposed thighs, gaining a gasp from the asari. I sat back down on my chair and the both of us shared our lunch.

"I have forgotten how good this 'sushi' is." Liara smiled as she went back to look at the fish swimming around.

"It's been awhile since I've had any as well. This place has gotten rave reviews on the extranet..." I looked at a koi fish up on the ceiling. "I can see why."

"The design is truly astounding." Liara agreed. "The food is excellent and the workers here are quick to serve considering how busy this place is. I am surprised we were able to find a table."

A grin spread across my lips. "The perks of being savior of the Citadel. Now," I cleared my throat and looked up and down Liara's sexy outfit and grinned. "Since you decided to torture me with that skirt of yours, how about we go dancing."

"Dancing?" Liara's eyes sparkled with amusement. "But you can't-"

"Quiet T'Soni." I mock-glared. "I can dance!" I picked one more piece of salmon nigiri and chewed on it. "I don't know why everyone keeps saying that."

"Because it's true." Liara grinned impishly, "Alonso is a much better dancer than you."

I huffed and stole Liara's salmon nigiri that was making its way towards her mouth, gaining a whimper and a frown. "Whatever. He should've taught me ages ago but he refused, saying that watching me dance _amused _him." I scrunched my nose. "That man is...ugh!" I rolled my eyes then mock-glared at my beautiful giggling asari. "That's not funny!" I pouted and sat deep in my chair until I heard rustling at the restaurant's entrance.

"OUTTA MY WAY HUMAN!" A low growl echoed as clings of plates and chairs cried out in fear from the voice.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose and hid deeper into my chair. _Not now! Why me?_

"Get back here Grunt!" I heard Kasumi cry after him, "Sorry about the mess!"

"Mom! I finally found you. Where have you been?" Grunt stole a chair from a frightened salarian and sat to my right while Kasumi sat across from him, offering me an apologetic look.

"Mom?" Liara tilted her head. "Wh-what is he talking about?"

"It's not what you think, babe." I glared at Grunt before looking softly at Liara. "Grunt, meet my asari girlfriend, Liara T'Soni. Liara, meet Grunt, Charlie's and my 'son'."

"I still don't understand." Liara looked at Grunt then at me before looking back at the large hulking mass of a Krogan.

"Charlie went to Korlus to recruit this warlord named Okeer. You know how that ended." Liara nodded and I looked at my krogan. _My Krogan. There I go again! Damn it Charlie! _I curse at myself and pointed at Grunt who was looking at a large catfish with hungry eyes. "We got him instead. He was in an incubation pod. Charlie released him and then I decided to say hello sometime after. After a few missions together, Grunt decided to call Charlie 'Dad' and me 'Mom'. He has...taken it quite literally. He came to my quarters one night and scared the shit out of me."

"I had a dream, Shepard." Grunt defended himself.

"Then you go ahead and tell EDI that you want to speak to me! Or go pester your father and Miranda. I'm sure they'll both _love_ that!" I grinned. "But if you ever come into my bed again, I won't hesitate to kick you in the quad. Is that understood?"

"Fine!"

"That was...a little too much for me to handle, Shepard." Liara turned an adorable shade of purple. "I was worried for a moment."

"Trust me, that _last_ thing I want is to pop out a Krogan. Must be painful, especially on someone like me."

"Shepard!" Kasumi and Liara blushed. "TMI Shep!" Kasumi added.

"Heh-heh-heh" Grunt chuckled and I couldn't help laugh with him.

"Now Grunt, I hate to do this but your mom has to spend time with... one of your stepmoms." I giggled when Liara glared at me. _Sorry love but I have to do this. _"I promise we'll spend some mother-son time tomorrow. We could go to that new arena that just opened."

"Really?"

"Yep." I smiled with a nod. "Maybe Aunt Kasumi could join us...even your stepmom is welcomed to join."

"You are going to regret this, Shepard." Liara sighed and frowned.

A mischievous smile spread across my lips as I slid one of my legs up and down hers, gaining a hitched breath from my asari. I finished with a wink that caused Liara to clear her throat nervously.

"Should we go?" I asked with an innocent smile.

"Yes, we shall." Liara stood and turned to both Kasumi and Grunt. "It was nice meeting you."

"Hope to see you soon!" Kasumi smiled.

Grunt nodded and went towards one of the fishtanks and devoured one of the eels, gaining reproachful stares from the owners. "See you soon, stepmom."

Before Liara could retort or say something, I grabbed her by the wrists and the both of us walked out of the restaurant. "Great night! Right?"

"You are unbelievable, Shepard."

"I know babe." I smiled at Liara and wrapped my arm around the small of her back as we waited for the elevator to come down. Once inside, I gave my blue beauty a look over, inching close to whisper, "How about we skip the dancing and head back to the hotel room." I lifted her skirt a few inches, shivering when I saw Liara's delicious blue ass. "God, you are so sexy you know that?" I gave her ass a strong squeeze before biting her neck tenderly. "Your clothes need to come off."

"My six favorite words." Liara moaned as she wrapped her arms around my waist. "Take me."

I bit the inside of my lip as I looked at Liara with lust, hunger and desire. "Oh I will, babe. I will."

* * *

**I can't help but think that I am trailing off of Liara's more darkened attitude that was in the second game...not sure if that's a good thing or not in terms of writing her as a damaged asari that desperately wants to look for her imprisoned friend. Though, I guess she's somewhat entitled to a break with Shepard. Right?**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Review and follow!**

**Until next time :)**


	30. Returning Home

**I appreciate the high praises these past couple of chapters concerning my ShepxLiara part of this story. I've read many, many fantastic FemShepxLiara stories on this site and having the 'one of the better romances between the two I've ever read' type of reviews means a lot to me. Thank you and I hope those that love my rendition enjoy more smut from the two in this chapter :)**

**I think I write those two better (in terms of the sex scenes) better than the Alonso/Miri pairing :( I wish I could have that same drive as I do with Shepard and Liara but oh well. I must keep trying. Hopefully I'll master them as time goes on.**

**Sorry it took awhile to get this chapter out. My main problem was actually the Armax Battle Arena scene. I had four different versions and this one, I hope, is the better of all four. Please let me know what you guys thought.**

**See you on the other side!**

* * *

**Returning Home**

**December 20, 2185**

**Lower Wards - Silversun Strip - Armax Battle Arena - Commander Shepard - 2000 hours**

"Final Round!" The female announcer rang out.

Geth appeared on the opposite side of the grassy field. I took cover behind a rock, readying my sniper rifle while Grunt, Thane and Kasumi readied their weapons. Kasumi fizzled away and waiting for our signal. Thane struck first, assassinating a pyro through the lens of his Mantis rifle. Grunt jumped over a small concrete barricade and charged, his Claymore shotgun in hand. Grunt swung it like a giant hammer, taking out three troopers that attempted to dodge but they failed. The three troopers flew backwards out of bounds and Grunt roared a laugh. His head swung around and searched for a new target.

Kasumi reappeared behind a Geth Hunter and overloaded it's shields before she grabbed it by its long neck and smashing it to the ground. It always surprised me how much power she had for her size and what kind of damage she could do.

I ran from cover to cover, causing damage of my own as I made my way towards a stone tower. I placed my rifle on my back and climbed the wooden ladder. Once I reached the top, I lied in a prone position and provided my squad the necessary suppressing fire as they took to cover.

"I AM KROGAAAAN!" I heard in the distance as I looked through my scope, followed by a loud metallic clink. A geth Prime flew across my rifle scope and I pulled my eye away, watching as the large Geth prime arch upwards into the air before I fell hard into the ground. "Heh-heh! Who's next!" Grunt laughed and roared towards his next victim.

"Bonus round!" The announcer called once more.

_Bonus round? _I asked myself as I dropped down to the ground and regrouped with my squad. _We haven't gotten that all day._ I inserted a fresh thermal clip into my rifle and looked through the scope. _Come on...Come on..._ Our enemies then fizzled into existence and I pulled my head back, tilting with confusion.

Miniature Geth platforms appeared and began running around, the small plasma bolts from their mini-guns barely caused any damage to us. _This is-_

"Aww! Look at them!" Kasumi beamed, "I don't even want to kill them."

"More for me!" Grunt lifted his foot and stomped on the mini Geth Prime. When he lifted his leg, a small purple stain remained.

"Okay, this is weird." I watched on as Grunt ran around the field, stomping ever enemy he could find, making it look like Grunt was playing sort of whack-a-mole game, except only with his foot. I looked at Thane and he simply shrugged. The three of us watched as Grunt had his fun until the female announcer spoke once more.

"Game over!" she said and map fizzled away, leaving blue glid-lines around the large globe. I looked up at the leaderboard and cursed when I saw Ashley William's name ahead of me. _How did she get a better score?_

"Again?" Grunt asked, jumping up in anticipation. Just as he asked, my omni-tool blinked and I cursed myself again. _That's the twentieth time in the past three hours that it's rung._

"...Maybe tomorrow." I gulped.

"You're no fun!"

I managed to roll my eyes and walked towards the exit. Grunt conceded and followed close by. "You don't want to see Liara angry, Grunt." I nudged the Krogan. "You won't like it when she's angry."

After dropping off Grunt, Kasumi in Miranda's apartment and Thane at Huerta Memorial, I made my way towards the hotel. I parked and ran inside, up the elevator and through the hallway until I reached the apartment. Cautiously, I opened it and saw the room dark except for the small candle that illuminated a small table. I looked around and didn't find Liara.

"Liara?" I walked towards the bedroom and saw her on the bed.

_Shit..._

"Babe?" I crawled into bed and sat next to Liara, whose back was turned towards me.

"You're late..." She said with clear disappointment in her voice.

"I-"

"Just go to bed. I'm not in the mood."

My heart sank at her cold tone. I nodded, even though she didn't see it, and took my armor off as quietly as possible. I climbed into bed and tried to sleep. "I'm sorry." I didn't get a response and that was all I needed to know. I took a deep breath and went to sleep, hoping that my beautiful asari would listen to me in the morning.

The next morning, I stretched and was relieved to see that Liara was still asleep. I sat up with my back against the board and waited for her to wake, wanting to set things right. I heard a soft moan escape her lips before her eyes opened.

"Morning." I tried but frowned when Liara huffed and turned away from my angrily. "Please...don't be mad at me."

"Twenty messages." Liara seethed, "I was so worried about you! Why didn't you respond?"

I looked down at my lap and swallowed the lump in my throat. "I got carried away with hanging out with my team. I'm sorry. I should have sent a quick message saying that I'll be late or something." My memories went to the table with the candle. "I'm sorry if I ruined your plans."

"_Our _plans." Liara sighed and turned but refused to look in my eyes. "I had planned a romantic dinner. I cooked dinner for us...and you didn't show up." My heart felt like it was about to explode when I saw Liara's eyes sparkle with tears.

"Hey..." I immediately reached for her and wiped her tears away. I leaned in a placed a quick kiss on her lips. "I'm so, so sorry. Let me make it up to you. When the Normandy gets here, I'll cook you dinner. Every day until we reach Illium. We'll eat alone. Just us. Okay?"

"Y-you mean it?"

"I do."

"No interruptions?"

"None what-so-ever." _I hope..._ "What do you say?" I smiled and it was returned with a small smile and a nod. "Great." I leaned in once more and planted a longer and softer kiss than the last. "I love you."

"I love you too."

**December 22, 2185**

**Citadel - Docking Bay A47 - SSV Normandy SR-2 - Commander Alonso - 0900 hours**

"Grunt, Kasumi, Thane." I gave them a nod as they walked towards me. "Where's Jane?"

"She was coming with us, until she forgot she had a meeting with some admiral." Grunt answered.

"Where?" I asked.

"Shep mentioned she was going to the Embassies down in the Presidium. That's all I know." Kasumi shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright, get inside. I'll be back in a bit." I furrowed my brows as I walked to the elevator. _Why didn't anyone tell me about a briefing? _

**Moments later...**

I stepped up to the receptionists who sat behind her desk. I flashed her a smile and said, "I'm here for the briefing."

"C-Commander Alonso!" The woman's face turned bright red and flustered. "O-of course! Follow me."

The brunette stood, tightened her Alliance blues and guided me into the office. "Sir, Commander Alonso is here."

"What?" A heard a collective gasps. Seven individuals stood and I looked at each and every one of them. Admiral Hackett, Councilor Anderson, Udina, some rear admiral, Jane Shepard, Liara T'Soni and...

"Commander." A brunette stood and I clenched my fists so hard that it made myself bleed.

"_You!_" I turned to Shepard who looked down on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing here Jane? And why is _she_ here?" I pointed at my ex.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams and Commander Shepard are assessing you, Commander Alonso." The mysterious admiral spoke.

"And who are _you_?" I growled.

"Rear Admiral Mikhailovich."

I shrugged my shoulder. "Whatever."

"I see Cerberus protocol has rubbed off on you." Mikhailovich spoke, "How unfortunate."

"I've never heard of you. So with all due respect, don't expect me to salute." I turned Ashley and was disgusted in her saddened facial expression. "Still don't understand why the chief is here. She is not part of my crew. I asked but she's a little brat and refused. Using the term 'loyalty' to run away from what's important..." _or was. _"And you don't need Shepard for this. Leave her out of it. If you want me to explain why I am with Cerberus, all you had to do is ask."

"Commander Shepard has been sending us weekly updates since her reunion with you." Admiral Hackett spoke calmly. "I am sorry but given your association with Cerberus, we couldn't afford the risk."

"I understand, sir." I calmed a bit.

"Care to explain why, then?" Mikhailovich asked with a hint of sarcasm and distrust.

I glared at him and replied. "Because they are the only people that are actually doing everything they can to investigate as to why there have been disappearances out in the Terminus systems. I don't know how far you have gotten in questioning Shepard but," I brought up my omni-tool and presented the evidence from our raid of the Collector ship. "The Collectors are behind it but it's more than that. They are working for the Reapers. Slaves, if you will. The Cerberus crew on board the Normandy came to the conclusion that they share similar DNA strands to the Protheans."

"So the Collectors are the Protheans?" Anderson asked.

I nodded to the councilor. "That's right. The Protheans, or what's left of them, have been indoctrinated and turned into mindless servants. They've been hidden for who knows how many years. The very ship we raided recently was the same exact ship that destroyed the original Normandy."

"So where are you now in your investigation?" The weasel Udina asked, stroking his chin in contemplation.

"I'm afraid I cannot say. But what I can say is that it is important to our mission. It provides the key for us to travel past the Omega 4 relay."

"How?" Anderson furrowed his brows, puzzled.

"Again Councilor, I cannot say. At least not right now. If everything goes as planned and we survive, I'd be happy to tell you."

"Another suicide mission. I don't like this one bit Charles." Anderson huffs. "But I trust you and Commander Shepard. I know you can get the job done."

I bring myself to smile, given the current party in the room, "I appreciate that Anderson. As always, Shepard and I will save the galaxy..." I pause and look at Williams with a glare. "Unlike _some _people." I turn and notice Liara standing in the corner. "Liara, pleasure to see you again." I turn back towards the Admirals and the councilor. "Now, I hate to cut this short but we must get going."

"Be safe Commander" Hackett saluted. "God speed."

I gave a nod and turned to Shepard and Liara and gave them a nod towards the door. "Let's go you two."

"Charlie..." Ashley ran up to me once we stepped out of the councilor's chambers.

"It's Commander Alonso to you." I growled. "Liara, Jane. I'll meet you back on the Normandy."

"But-"

"_Now!_" I glared at Shepard and she reluctantly left, wrapping her arm around Liara as the two exited.

"Charlie, please. I want to-" She reached out to grab my hand but I flared my biotics and swatted her hand away.

"You want to what? Apologize? No. Nothing that you could say could _ever, EVER,_ fix what you did to me. Look, I understand that you were a bit shocked when you saw me but you know what? I wanted you to come with me! I wanted you...needed you. I missed you so much! But you broke my heart. Every god damn minute I spent since I woke up, I thought about _you!_ I wondered where you were, what you were doing, and if you were thinking about me. I couldn't sleep most nights. I had nightmares but when I saw you... I felt my insides jump for joy when I saw you on Horizon...but you didn't feel the same. You didn't love me." I looked down, away from Ashley's chocolate brown eyes that I had fallen for once. "Know that I look back, I'm not sure you ever loved me at all."

"I did love you! I still do." Ashley tried to reach for me but I backed away, shaking my head in defiance.

"No. You don't. Otherwise you would have joined me. You wouldn't have called me a traitor. That's what hurt me the most. That after what the both of us went through, what we had together, you had the audacity to call me a traitor. You love the image of me. The hero. The fucking Alliance poster boy. You used me. I used to picture us together forever but now I realize I was just a toy to you and I will _never_ forget that. So you stay here and do whatever you have to do with your precious Alliance. Pretend and lie to yourself if you have to. I'm leaving and with Shepard, I'll save the galaxy while you twiddle your thumbs like you're doing right now." I wiped my eyes roughly and huffed. "So goodbye." _You Alliance heartbreaking bitch!_

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Commander Shepard - 1100 hours**

"Expecting to go somewhere with us, Liara?" Charlie asked neutrally after Liara and I called to him as he headed inside the Normandy.

Liara frowned and shyly looked down. "I-I thought that-"

"Ha! I was just joking." Charlie snickers. "Come on, I'll help you with the bags." With the help of other Cerberus crewmen, Charlie took the bags to my room, much to my surprise.

"Don't give me that look." Charlie grins before looking at Liara. "I hope that's all of them."

"Yes and thank you." Liara smiled and bowed.

As my commander made his way out, he stopped and turned to face me. "And be quiet will you? Tali has the quarters next to you and don't forget it." He winked and began walking out. "You wouldn't want to damage her innocent brain would you?"

"He's still the same, teasing man...isn't he?" Liara asked, holding a hand up to her lips to suppress a laugh.

"Yep." I looked innocently around my room until my eyes met Liara's blues. I shyly kicked the floor and approached my lover. "Liara?" I called while timidly looking down.

"Hmm? What is it?

"From the looks of it, it seems we won't be disturbed for awhile..."

"And?" I looked cautiously up to her deep blue eyes. They sparkled filled with mirth.

"So," I cleared my throat. "We'll be alone."

"Yes?" Slowly, one side of her lips arched upward into a suggestive smile. _She read my mind._ Slowly, painfully so, she began lowering the zipper on her red and blue asari dress. I quickly took off my clothes and tossed them before running towards Liara's luggage, trying to find one thing in all of her mess of clothes. I grinned in triumph when I saw my prized possession underneath Liara's pile of bra and panties. I quickly put it on me, making sure the sensory module slid inside of me. I stood and turned, finding Liara completely nude over the pool of her clothes. "My my, _Commander,_ that looks very big." Liara teased, dropping her voice down to a seductive octave as she placed her hands on her hips. I walked over to her and licked my lips, drooling at the beautiful body in front of me.

"Get on the bed, _Doctor._"

"As you wish, _my_ Commander."

_This is going to be a short trip to Illium. _I licked my lips once more as I watched Liara waiting for me on the bed, propping herself by her elbows. _I'll take all I can get. She'll be back to work soon and she'll leave me...or I'll leave her. Same difference. _I shook my head. _Stop it and enjoy yourself, damn it. It what Liara would want._

And that is exactly what I did.

**December 24, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Crew Deck - Commander Alonso - 0900 hours**

I sat on the kitchen counter, watching everyone pile into the mess hall. Miranda was the last to arrive and stood beside me and gave a faint smile to everyone. I smiled internally at that.

"Hey everyone. I thank you all for coming. Well, it's Christmas eve and since we have just landed on Illium, I thought we should spend the next couple of days here before we head back out." I paused and looked at the smiling faces on the human side. "So, in the spirit of Christmas, I want everyone to buy gifts for everyone. _Everyone __**will**__ participate._" I looked at Jack and Zaeed, the both of them simply shrugged their shoulders. "I want a Christmas tree and this whole ship decorated with Christmas ornaments. Everyone will be assigned with tasks by Operative Lawson. I want this to be good to go by tomorrow. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The crew complied.

"Good." I smiled. "If you have families here on Illium, you are either free to leave for the next two days, or invite them here. Your choice. If there are any questions, come talk to me. Dismissed."

"Commander." Miranda got my attention as we were left alone. I knew what she was about to ask and I held up my hand to interrupt.

"You want to see Oriana. Invite her over."

Miranda smiled, "I'm glad you said that."

"I'll be away for awhile. Are you going to be alright?"

"Of course." Miranda walked over and gave me a chaste kiss. "Have fun."

"Charlie?" Jane stepped into the elevator with me. "You alright?"

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, masking the pain I've been carrying since my talk with Ashley.

"Don't give me that." Shepard gave me a motherly look. "Talk to me."

I pursed my lips and caressed her cheek. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"I always worry." Jane frowned. "I want you happy."

"And I am." I gently kissed her right cheek. "I have my two favorite girls on the same ship. And they aren't fighting over me." I give her a wink, gaining a rolling of the eyes. "Trust me. I'm fine."

"Where are you headed?" She asked.

"I was going to go shopping for gifts, you?"

"I was going to do the same. Want me to come with you?"

"Sure." I smile. "I'd like that."

**Six hours later...**

I made sure my door was locked with extra firewalls before walking towards my bed where gifts, wrapping paper, scissors and tape lied across my bed. _I haven't done this in years..._ I frowned and looked at the time. _I should have gotten this wrapped as I checked them out! Miranda is going to question me. _I paled at the thought. _I'm not sure I can take her seducing questioning._

"Well, here goes nothing!"

After hours of wrapping, and ensuring that Miranda stayed away, I hid my gift for her under one of the panels near my desk. I then took various trips down to the mess hall where the Christmas tree was in the middle of being assembled by Amanda and Kelly. I smiled at them in every trip I've made. The two were working at a steady pace and by the time I went down for my last load, they were finished.

"Looks great ladies." I smiled once more. "Great job."

"Thank you Commander." Kelly blushed.

"That tree was some work." Amanda looked up at the tree with pride. She then placed one arm around Kelly's waist and pulled her close. "Though if it wasn't for Kelly, it would take me forever to get it done."

Kelly gulped but smiled as she wrapped her arms around Amanda's neck. "I'm glad I could help." The two leaned in and kissed and I rolled my eyes at the brunette and redhead.

"Get a room you two." I smirked when the two women glared at me. Amanda stuck out a tongue at me and left with Kelly in tow. With being alone, I decided to take a peek at what Miranda got me. I searched for my gift and finally found it on top of Garrus' gift for Tali. I grabbed it, weighing it in my hands. It was a nine by ten by two box. It didn't weigh more than two pounds, give or take.

"I seriously hope you aren't going to open it."

I yelped, throwing the gift up in the air. I fumbled it three times before taking a firm hold of it. I turned and found Miranda standing with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed at me. I laughed nervously before setting the gift down where I found it. I scratched my shoulder and smiled sheepishly.

"Couldn't resist." I looked around and said, "The place looks perfect."

"Of course it is." Miranda shifted her body weight to one side, her arms still crossed, "I made sure everything is where it should be."

"Those perfect genes of yours." I grinned and made my way to capture the beautiful brunette in my arms. "I can't wait to open your gift."

"Yours looks promising as well." Miranda smiled.

My mouth flew open. "How did you know where I hid it?"

"Everyone has their secrets, _Commander._" Miranda purred, causing my knees to go weak. I noticed that Miranda cornered my up against the kitchen counter. "However, I didn't open it. But I think I have a few ways for me to discover what you're hiding."

"I-it-its a surprise! Heh! A-afterrrrall it's Christmas! I'm n-nnot supposed to tell you!" Before I knew it, she was over me while I was on the ground.

"Christmas? That's your excuse? Hmph! Believe me, Commander: You'll tell me what I want to-"

"AHEM!"

Garrus, Shepard and Liara stood there. A mixture of smirks, glares and hands on the hips as they stood above us.

"Female on top." Garrus quipped, "Nice!"

"Miss Lawson," Liara smirked. "When I assumed Cerberus wanted the Commander to be revived and assigned you to lead the operation, I would have never suspected you to be doing -as humans would say- make out sessions with your boy toy?" She turned to Shepard who slapped her hand in front of her face. "Did I say that right Shepard?"

"Just stop talking, babe. Please." Shepard groaned.

"So," I cleared my throat, gently pulling Miri off of me. "Um, hi." I nervously laughed. "I think Operative Lawson and I will just retire and get out of here? Right?"

Miranda nodded, not trusting her voice. Her cheeks brightened to a lava red. The both of us quickly stood and sped towards the elevator. We remained silent minutes after the both of us crashed on my bed.

"At least Liara is getting better with her human terminolo-"

"Be quiet, Chuck."

I felt my cheeks tingling and I smiled, inching closer to my girlfriend. "You're sexy when you're mad and bossy."

"I am _not_ mad." Miranda growled.

"I beg to differ." I climbed on top of her. She tried to fight free free but I held her down with the help of my biotics. "Behave." I leaned down and began giving her feather-like kisses up and down her jawline. Miranda's control dissipated as I continued my assault and my biotics faded shortly after. This caused me to relinquish a hand from the hold and I used that same hand to explore her delightful curves. Her black leather catsuit was an obstacle that needed to be wiped out. Miranda knew this and helped me unzip the uniform. I helped Miranda shimmy out of the sexy outfit, revealing red laced bra and panties.

"Red looks good on you." I admitted before those were discarded as well. I stared down and bit the inside of my cheek. _So beautiful. So perfect._

"It would help if you had your clothes off too." Miranda suggested with lust in her eyes. I nodded and removed my shirt as Miranda went to work on my pants. I took them and my boxers off and the two of us lied on top of each other, kissing with raw energy. I curled and pulled on her silky soft hair as she clawed her nails on my arms and back. Our tongues met as soon after letting out a low, growling moan. I could feel the wetness on my leg from Miranda's folds. I pulled away and grinned. I gave her what she wanted most. Using my saliva as lubrication, I slowly inserted myself inside of her, causing a satisfying moan to escape Miranda's lips. She grabbed her breasts as the both of us found a slow rhythmic pace. I was happy to provide something slow, compared to our previous quick releases. Miranda pulled me in and kissed me. I lovingly caressed her cheek as our tongues massaged each other once more.

"I love you." She proclaimed after pulling away.

"I know." I smiled and returned her kiss.

We kept our slow lovemaking pace for what felt like hours when she decided to take the reins, flipping me over so I lied down on the bed. I held her by the hips as she picked up the pace, her moans got louder and stressed out. Her free-flowing jet black hair now clung to her skin as she was covered with sweet sweat.

"Oh, god..." The both of us breathed out in unison minutes later. "Take over!" She ordered. I grinned and pushed her back down on the bed.

The gentler side of me now gone, replaced by a primal side that Miranda enjoyed just as well. I flared my biotics around my body and I spread her legs wider before I began playing with her swollen clit. Miranda whimpered while she bit the bottom of her lip. Her breasts bounced violently up and down as I began ravaging her. Miranda began screaming my name, which caused me to go harder.

"YES! Commander!" I felt Miranda's inner folds tighten themselves hard around me before the both of us reached a united climax. I instantly collapsed, panting into her neck while Miranda tousled with my hair, kissing and biting my ear. "Another amazing night." She panted after cuddling next to me after lied back on the bed.

I held her tightly as our bodies allowed and I began drawing circles on her shoulder, gaining purrs from the beautiful woman next to me. I kissed her forehead lovingly as a response, tasting the saltiness from her sweat.

"Sorry we haven't spoken the last five days." I frowned. "I missed you."

"I understand you had a stressful mission. I had my own problems to deal with so I didn't have time to see you either. Mister Vakarian told me about it and-"

"You talked to Garrus?"

"He approached me actually."

I smiled internally and kissed her forehead again. "No worries. I hope everything got resolved?"

"Yes, apart from one thing. The scientists that were in charge of monitoring the downed reaper have gone dark..."

My face paled, wondering what could have happened. _Isn't it obvious? _I told myself. I shook my head clear of the thought. "Let's not talk about this right now, alright?"

"I see your point. I don't want to spoil the mood for tomorrow."

"Speaking about tomorrow." I removed my circling fingers from her shoulders and began playing with her hair again. "Is Oriana coming?"

I felt Miranda's smile on my chest, followed by a quick nod. "She's bringing Danner as well."

"Glad that she'll be spending time with you."

"Well I am going to hit the shower-" I quickly grabbed her wrists before she could leave the bed. I smiled innocently.

"Who told you that you could leave?" I asked. Miranda arched her brow and straddled my thighs.

"Round two?" She smirked and I nodded.

"Round two."

**Meanwhile Down on the Crew Deck...**

"-Yes well, restrain yourself from using human terms like those." I blushed as I finished my plate.

Liara lightly chuckled. "Perhaps you are right. I might have overdone it."

"Where did you learn that anyways?" I asked, stacking my empty plate on top of her now-finished plate and placing them over on my desk. "I know I don't use words like that."

"An old vid from Earth, probably from either the twentieth or twenty-first century." Liara replied, "I watched it during the long passage towards the Citadel. It was silly."

I took a drag of my whiskey as I listened, smiling afterwards. "During those times, majority of the vids were." I agreed, "Still, there are some great vids to discover that came out during that time period. I have only seen a couple. Both were war-drama vids. I cried through most of them." Liara was about to say something, the closed her mouth shut. I looked on with worry before asking, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing. I'm fine. Maybe we can watch more vids together...if you return back to me."

I reached over and held her shaking hand. She looked up at me with a saddened look on her face. I gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand lovingly. "_When,_" I corrected, "When I come back to you."

Liara sighed, stood and began frantically pacing. "You don't know what lies beyond the Omega 4 relay. Even I don't and I am the best information broker out there. I'm scared, Shepard. I...I don't want to lose you again. What if you come back and the Reapers immediately attack. You'll be on the other side of the galaxy if that happens. I won't be anywhere near you." Tear began falling like a maddening waterfall. "What if the Reapers attack Illium first! I will never see you again. I can't bear the thought of losing you again!" I ran up to her and she attached herself to me. Tears refused to go away as Liara cried for minutes on end. I cooed her and guided her to the edge of the bed where the both of us sat and held each other. "It's too much, Shepard. I don't know what I would do without you and I don't want to think about it."

"Then don't. If what you say becomes reality and the Reapers _do_ come," Liara tightened her grip around me, "then nothing," I squeezed back, "you hear me? Nothing is going to stop me from coming to you. I _will _find you no matter where in the galaxy I am. No matter how far you are away from me. Babe, look at me." My words seemed to give my beautiful asari to stop crying. She looked at me with sparkling blue eyes and I gently, firmly held her cheeks. "I love you so much. With every inch, every fiber of my being. Get rid of those thoughts babe. That will never happen. I'll be by your side. Always and forever." I leaned in and wrapped my lips with hers, tasting the salt from her tears. I pulled back and rested my forehead with hers. "I promise." I whispered.

"Goddess Shepard, I love you so much." Liara leaned in and returned the kiss with such desperation that I found myself drown in it. And I loved it. "I don't want to leave you." She said between kisses after tackling me down on the bed, her fingers aching to touch me everywhere.

_Then don't_. I said to myself but this was unavoidable. Someone else needed her. Needed my blue goddess. I was taken by surprise when Liara's eyes turned onyx black.

"Embrace Eternity!"

_I looked around and noticed that I was in the old Normandy, inside in Liara's quarters. I saw Liara smile at Charlie before the door swung open. In the memory, I felt something warm illuminate through old Liara's presence._

_'Done being made at me, lieutenant?" _

_Oh yeah, I ruined Charlie's first chance with Miranda after the both of us became Spectres. Charlie shrugged his shoulders and gave me a dry chuckle._

_'No, I'm not angry. Quite the opposite actually.' Charlie stood straighter and hopped happily. 'I've got some news that I think you're going to like.'_

_'Hmm?' I tilted my head at him. 'What's that?'_

_Charlie smiled widely and began. 'I just got an interesting call from Anderson. He gave me a promotion. It's __**Commander **__Alonso now. I was looking all over for you just so I could tell you.' His smiled turned to a victorious grin. 'I'd say Commander fits nicely, don't you think?'_

_Past Shepard walked away and suddenly, the memory got a little cold. I began to shiver but I was put at ease when the memory shifted._

_'Commander...' There was that same, tingly, warm sensation from before. 'Came to check up on me?' Liara turned from her makeshift desk and stood, facing my other self._

_'How are you feeling? I hope you don't mind me staying and keeping you company?' I showed her my tray of 'delicious' grey goop and sat on the edge of her bed. I remember asking her things about her culture and even her mother. I remember feeling sad that she was an only child and that most of her life she spent alone, secluded in some deserted dig site. I remember saying how could something so beautiful spend all that time alone. But when she told me she was enjoying what she was doing, I felt relieved._

_'I have spend almost half of my existence studying the Protheans. I wanted to know everything about them.' Liara looked down and shyly blushed. 'They are so mysterious. That is why I find you so fascinating. You were touched by a Prothean beacon. Deep inside of you, you have stored a truly wonderful gift, the gift of the Protheans.'_

_I saw my cheeks quickly turn to a bright shade of red. 'Me? Fascinating? It sounds like you want to dissect me in a lab somewhere.'_

_'What?' Liara's eyes widened with fear and shock. 'N-no! That's not what I meant. I didn't mean to insinuate-' She shook her head adorably, 'I didn't mean to offend you, Commander. I only meant that you would be an interesting specimen for an in-depth study! I-I no, that's not what I meant either.'_

_I giggled along with my old self before my other Shepard spoke. 'Relax, doctor I was only joking. You look cute when you blush.'_

I felt Liara end the meld there, her eyes filled with love. "I thought you were undeniably annoying and cruel." She smiled, "Humans are so strange."

I kissed her cheek and smiled. "You're still cute T'Soni and that is one of the reasons why I love you."

"I showed you that because during our conversation, you showed me who you were. A person who was willing to know other people. We spent hours talking and...I wanted that moment to last forever. When I first laid eyes on you without your armor," Liara sighed dreamily. "Goddess you were so beautiful. Still are. Even without your armor on, I still felt protected. Cared for. The reason I showed you that first memory, if you didn't realize, was because that was the moment I fell in love with you."

"I guess you couldn't really see my face through my helmet down on Therum's surface." I smiled wryly. "I fell for you the moment I saw you in that bubble." I felt a burning sensation on my cheeks. "You were someone that needed rescuing-"

"-and you were that savior in shining armor."

I chuckled and poked Liara's stomach. "Knight." I corrected, "Knight in shining armor." I held her close and whispered, "Thank you for all the memories love."

"There will be more memories like that in the future." Liara whispered back.

"I hope so." I reluctantly pulled back, taking a whiff of Liara's scent. "You're wearing my perfume." I mock-glared. Liara noncommittally shrugged her shoulders and leaned back on the bed, her hands clasped behind her head. I frowned in defeat and leaned back next to her. I scooted closer and wrapped my arms around her abdomen, stroking my thumb up and down her side. "I love you T'Soni."

"I love you too, Shepard."

"So," I broke the comfortable silence minutes later. "When you said, 'interesting specimen for an in-depth study', what did you mean?"

Liara gave me a grinning sideways glance. Her hands came down and one of them rested underneath my shirt. "What do you think I meant?" Her hand slowly descended and made its way under the gap between my skin and pants. I shuttered under her touch, my core starting to burn under her wake.

"I-I think I had the right idea-Oh!" I gasped as her thumb grazed the nub and began drawing circles. "Liara..." I said softly, biting my lower lip, closing my eyes in pure ecstasy. As Liara slowly rubbed my clit, I tried to gather my thoughts. I opened my eyes, still biting my lip and slipped my own hand down Liara's checkered pajamas, matching the same circling movements on her own bud.

A delicate moan escaped her lips as we inched closer to one another, neither of us lifting our hands from our spots. We kissed, moaning into each other's mouths before our tongues met in a fevered dance. "Pants. Off." She broke away and panted and I was happy to oblige, removing everything else along with it. Liara did the same, and the both of us lied naked next to each other. Both of our hands immediately went back to resume our pleasurable ministrations. My bed sheets had escaped the bed to the floor from our bodies writhing around. The bed itself was naked, except for the pillows but even they weren't where they were supposed to be.

Liara ended on top of me and I smiled lovingly before we met halfway to connect another melting kiss. Her hands trailed up and down the inside of my thighs, teasing me which caused me to growl and whimper for her touch. _The only place I want her to touch_, I said to myself. I looked up at her deep blue eyes with such a longing that I pushed her down so I could feel her skin on mine. We kissed again and I was overjoyed that every kiss was different, new even, and my lips wanted more. The ache between my legs was unbearable now. Liara repositioned herself so that our folds would graze each other's legs. I gasped, clinging Liara's arms when she moved body upwards.

"Oh yes!" I breathed as Liara's body moved once more, feeling her moist azure move up and down my leg repeatedly.

Liara dug her face into my neck and I began feeling hot air that caused the hairs on the my back of my neck to crawl. I breathed a shaky breath as I moved my hips along with her. "Goddess, you're so wet Shepard." As cheesy as the words sounded to me -not the first time I've ever heard her use the words- it drove me crazy. What drove me even mad, was the sound of the skin-to-skin contact, the wetness and I was sure that it drove my asari mad as well because she increased the speed in which our legs grinded on each other. I pressed my hands around her ass, giving her cheeks a hard slap, gaining a moan from the good doctor. I grinned when I saw the rosy purple hand print that was left behind and I slapped her ass again, gaining the same effect from the previous slap.

"I love it when you do that." She breathed into my ear. I purred with delight and slapped her harder. "Goddess yes!" We grinded faster and the slapping stopped, replaced my deep pinching and back scratching. "Let me in! I'm so close."

I acknowledged with a kiss, as I was in the brink of an orgasm as well. With one final moan, Liara's eyes turned black.

_I love you so much,_ I felt both of our consciousness say in unison before the both of us went over the edge. We clung close to each other as our bodies pulsed and twitched. The meld continued even after our breathing calmed, the both of us sending all the love we could through the meld.

_My beautiful asari,_ I said to her, smiling as I caressed her cheek.

_My beautiful human. _I giggled and kissed her lips before I dropped my head on her chest, hearing her heartbeat. I closed my eyes, took a satisfied sigh and drifted to sleep in Liara's arms.

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**My most drawn out scene? Possibly and probably one of my favorite scenes to write. I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Next chapter: Christmas on board the Normandy! If any of you read the one shot that I have posted on here (poorly written I'd say. First attempt in writing in third person) I'll have a few extra stuff added onto it and I have to change some stuff around so that it actually fits to what I have written for this story.**

**Please review, favorite and subscribe!**

**See you guys later!**


	31. Christmas on board the Normandy: Part I

**Hello**

**Sorry to everyone for the long wait between updates.**

**I've been trying to get this chapter right for the past week and even though I'm not happy with it 100%, it's the best I got.**

**There are some surprises in this chapter which will change the game for good. **

**I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

**Christmas on board the Normandy: Part I**

**December 25, 2185**

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 0540 hours**

I swiveled back and forth my chair, reading a few articles about current events on my desk.

"They just don't get it." I grumbled to myself after reading an Alliance report that has downplayed everything I have done. After several clicks, I find myself looking at an interview that was hosted by none other than Khalisa Bint Sinan al-Jilani.

"I am here with former Normandy crewmember and recently promoted Lieutenant Ashley Williams." The camera centered on the brunette wearing her Alliance blues. "Thank you for your time Lieutenant. Can you please tell the viewers at home at what you have been up to?"

"I am not at a liberty to go into full detail at this time. I'm still in a middle of an investigation." Ashley replied neutrally.

"There is some speculation that you are in charge of bringing former Spectre Alonso into custody and that Spectre Shepard is helping you. Care to elaborate?"

Ashley sighed and shook her head. "Former Spectre Alonso is not being searched by the Alliance; I can assure you of that Miss al-Jilani. I am simply-"

_Trying to discredit everything I have done these past few months!_ I huffed and quickly turned off the browser, not wanting to listen to Ashley or al-Jilani any longer. I crossed my arms over the top of the desk and put my head down. "I hate this." I breathed out. _I need to deal with this._ I quietly made my way towards the exit, trying not to wake up a nude Miranda on my bed. I went down to the crew deck and knocked on my master's quarters.

"Master," I bow once the door opens and find Samara standing, watching the sun starting to rise over the Illium skyline, "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Not at all Charles." She responds in her regal tone, still looking out the window. "You may come in."

I smiled and walked over to stand next to her. "Lovely view." I said as the sun rays began hitting my skin. "I want to ask you something...personal."

"What can I help you with?"

"What do you do when..." I sighed, shaking my head, "What do you do when your heart hurts and its confusing you?" I shake my head and laugh darkly. "When it's irritating you?"

"Is this about your current relationship, Commander?"

"What? No! No, of course not. Miranda and I are perfect right now. It's about my previous relationship. She's in the Alliance and is 'investigating' my work here with Cerberus."

"I see." Samara turns to me and gives me a look. "I must meld with you. Is that alright? It may be painful to relive those memories but know that I am right here."

"Sure, I guess. Be careful though...it's been a while." I bowed my head down and cleared my mind. Trying to relive the memories of the past is something I really don't want to do but if Samara can help me, then I have no other choice. I didn't realize when Samara entered my mind. _Nearly a thousand years of practice helps I guess. _I chuckle before a memory fizzles into the air.

_"Mind if I sit Commander?" Ashley stands over the table and I nod. "Thanks." She places her tray down and sits across from me._

_"So...how are you liking space travel?" I ask as I placed my datapad down and resume my lunch. "Sorry if we haven't had much time to talk. Been busy doing the Commander's job."_

_"Is that her report?" She asks with a small smile while before taking a bite from her lunch._

_"More like mine." I shrugged, "But I'd rather not get her angry. I've known her long enough to know when to follow orders. Messing with a N7 is one thing but nothing beats an angry redhead." Ashley laughs delightfully that causes me to smile briefly._

_"I've only heard stories from both of you and your missions together. I'd never thought I'd be serving under both of you."_

_"And what have you heard, Chief?" I dipped my spoon into the synthetic slop. Looking up to look at the Chief with a grin._

_Ashley gulped nervously and quickly replied. "That you don't like following orders and that you killed Batarians in cold blood. I heard that Shepard found you in a cave drenched in Batarian blood."_

_I hummed and placed my spoon down on my tray. "Is that what they say. Well, they're correct, except for the last part...sometimes. After what I heard on Elysium, I volunteered Jane and I to head over to Torfan. I wanted to avenge the humans who were enslaved and killed. That's exactly what I did. We were hunkered down for four days without doing anything. The higher-ups were planning their next move and well, I got sick and tired of waiting. In the middle of the night, I left camp and went straight into enemy territory. I killed them all." I laughed darkly. "God, you should've seen the look on their faces when I showed up alone, flaring my biotics. The fear in those fucker's eyes when I dismembered the limbs of every fucking batarian in that cave." I took a deep breath and shook my head. "Jane went after me with the rest of the squad two days later. I've never seen her so scared in my life."_

_"I would've been too." Ashley replied softly. "Sorry for asking."_

_"What's done is done. Those ugly fucks and I have a mutual hate for one another. I hate that there's nothing I can do to stop them...yet."_

_There was a dead silence as I went back to re-read my report. "You never answered my question by the way."_

_"Oh... right well, it's definitely a change. I'd never think I'd ever serve on a ship like this."_

_"Well we're lucky to have you on board Chief." I give Ashley a smile which she returns._

_"Thank you, sir."_

_"Please, call me Charlie. Sir makes me sound old."_

_"Charlie?" Jane came out of the corner, dressed in her gym outfit. "Ready?"_

_"Yeah sure. Just give me a minute, I'll catch up." I turned to the Chief and gave her a nod before standing up to place my plate away in the sink. "I hope we can talk more after I'm done kicking Jane's ass?" I offered Ashley a smile._

_"Of course Commander. I'll be down at my station if you ever want to talk."_

_Ashley's smile made me feel weird inside but I pushed it down. "Well, I'll see you around."_

_"I'm looking forward to it." I heard Ashley mutter and I couldn't help but grin as thoughts invaded my brain._

The memory faded, and another began.

_"So, am I going down to Illos with you?" Ashley asked we met halfway through the winding stairs of the CIC that went down to the crew deck. I couldn't look at Ashley in the eyes. I knew she wanted to go down and fight til the end. But instead, Jane and I decided to bring Tali, Liara and Garrus down to the surface. _

_'This is a suicide mission if there ever was one' I remember telling Jane just hours before. I can't let Ashley die on me now. 'She'll be safer aboard the ship' I steeled myself and shook my head._

_"You're not. I'm sorry but it's not possible."_

_Ashley's mouth opened to say something while her eyes shot daggers at me. "What do you mean? I need to be with you on the ground, Charlie!" I brushed past Ashley as we began blocking the path of a few crewmembers. Not daring to say a word until we were alone, I guided Ashley towards my quarters. "You said you would put in a good word for me! I bet you didn't huh?"_

_"You think that I want you to come with me? It's dangerou-"_

_"Don't give me that! I've been perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm still alive right?"_

_'You do have a point' I said to myself, frowning. "Look, I just don't want something bad to happen to you. Please, just try to understand."_

_"It's not fair. I can't leave you behind!" Ashley's eyes began to water, her body shook with fear. I crossed towards her and held her close. "What am I going to do?" She sobbed, clutching my shirt collar._

_"You'll be safe..." I kissed her forehead, trying everything I could to calm her down. "I'll be alright. Everyone has a job to do. You'll be in charge of taking the Normandy back to Arcturus and make the jump to the Citadel. Can I count on you to do that?"_

_Ashley nodded and stepped back to wipe the wetness from her cheeks. "Just promise me you won't die on me."_

_"Well...I'll try." I grinned, grabbing a gently hold of her hips before capturing her lips in mine. "I love you Ash."_

_"I love you too."_

"Those are strong memories, Commander." Samara's eyes turned to her normal shade of silver-blue.

"We were great friends before we pursued a relationship. She means...meant, a lot to me."

"Do you still care for this human?"

I stared out into the beautiful Illium skyline. Skycars and large transportation ships flew to their respective destinations. Life looks simple out there. Be here, go there and come back. Isn't that what everyone wants? A sense of normalcy? "I don't know." I breathed, stepping back to sit on one of the sofas in the room. "Everything is a whole mess. I died and left her behind. I left many people behind. I return and the danger is still the same but everything else is different. Ashley didn't want me back. How can you move on from that? Can I forgive her? Will I?" I scratched my head viciously and felt completely lost. "I saw her yesterday...in that same Pheonix armor I saw her on Horizon. But she had sadness in her eyes this time. We both said some things we might've regretted back on that planet. I know a part of me does. A small part that still wants a friendship, even though things will never be the same." I stop, deep in thought with my memories of Ashley and me together.

"My advice for you is -as you humans say- forgive and forget. I have seen the time you have spent with this soldier and know how much you miss having her company. You have many emotions with her and even though you might not love her, or can never love her again, she is important to you. The both of you share a unique bond that cannot be broken. Speak with her, Charles. Forgive her and in turn, you can be happy again." Samara touched my shoulder and I looked into her eyes and I knew she was right.

"Forgive her huh? I...I guess it's worth a shot. Thank you."

"It is my pleasure. I'm glad I could be of help."

"Uhh, crap! Commander?" Joker's shaken voice came over the comm.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You _miiiight_ want to come up to the airlock. We...we have a visitor."

_What?_ "Who is it?" I asked, curious as to who would come aboard at this hour.

"Come and see for yourself."

I groaned at Joker's game and stood. I bowed my head at my master and bid her farewell. "This better not be some sort of prank, Joker." I hissed once inside the elevator.

Joker's chuckled, "Oh I wish. I can't wait to see the look on your face! It's going to be legend-wait for it."

I stepped out of the elevator and walked through the CIC and to the airlock, passing by the nightshift crew. I saw Joker's leeching grin as I approached him, giggling with anticipation.

"The hell is wrong with you?" I hissed, "What's this about?"

Joker pressed a few buttons and activated the controls to open the airlock. The massive door opened and a figure took to steps forwards and saluted.

"Lieutenant Ashley Williams. Reporting for duty."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 -Crew Deck - Port Observation Room - Commander Shepard - 1100 hours**

"-Dary! Legendary!" Joker laughed hysterically as Garrus, Tali, Kasumi, Amanda and Kelly listened to his story. I looked at Ashley who stood near Kasumi's bookshelf with her hand on her face.

"I still wish it didn't happen like that."

"Well I couldn't let you in on my own. Only Charlie or our illustrious XO are allowed to have people come aboard."

I flinched at the thought. _Miranda welcoming Ashley would've been a problem. _"I'm surprised to see you here on Illium, Ash."

"I am simply following orders, Skipper. Sorry for not telling you."

"You should probably talk to Charlie if you want to apologize. I have no say here in the decisions of what goes on this ship."

"If he wakes up of course." Joker snickers. "The man is lights out!"

Kasumi laughs with him and sighs dramatically. "Gosh, I wish I could've been there to take a picture."

Joker waved his hand dismissively at the young thief. "Ah don't worry about it. I had EDI record it. I'll send you the file in a bit."

_Of course he did. _I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I'm glad to have you aboard Williams." Tali spoke as she took another sip of her drink.

"Another soldier couldn't hurt us that's for sure." Garrus pipes in.

"Thanks guys." Ashley gave off a warm smile. "I'm glad to see the both of you."

"Hey Tali?" I blinked as I watched Tali carefully place her cup down on the coffee table. "What are you drinking?"

Tali giggled and tried to sit up straight, failing miserably. "Turian Brandy. Triple filtered, then introduced into the suit through an emergency induction port."

"That's...a straw, Tali." Kasumi grinned, watching Tali place the 'straw' into the small slot on her helmet.

"It's an Emergency. Induction. Port...It's getting a little harder to get it into the slot...I think that means its working!" Tali slurred.

"I'll drink to that!" Everyone said in unison. I finished my drink right as Liara entered the room.

"I should go. Liara, help me with this one." I gestured to Tali as she fell off of the couch and groaned. Liara quickly walked over and helped me carry the drunken quarian out of the room. "How is he?" I asked once the three of us stepped out of Port Observation and began walking down the hall.

"Apart from the small cut on the side of his head, he's perfectly fine and awake. Miranda is with him now. I got her." Liara took Tali's body and gently set her down on the bed.

"Ponies...I want... a pon...-y" Tali passed out shortly after and I stifled a laugh.

"Come on, let's go. We'll check up on her before dinner."

We made our way back into the med bay and found the other two lovebirds of the ship together.

"I never expected her to be here." Charlie looked at me questioningly just then. "Did you know?"

"I didn't." I walked over to stand opposite side of the bed from Miranda. "I'm surprised myself."

"What is she doing here anyway?" Miranda began pacing, clearing angry with the situation. "I should kick her out right now!"

"...You aren't doing that." Charlie frowned as he sat up on the cot. "We could use the extra firearms."

Miranda turned to face him with a glare. "I don't bloody believe it. You can't be serious, right? She's hurt you! In more ways than one. I won't allow her to bring you down and let you fail."

"We need her." Charlie said softly.

"No, we don't." The brunette snarled. "We have enough help. I won't have her on board my ship." Miranda crossed her arms over under her chest.

Charlie's brows lifted in amusement that was accompanied with an incredulous laugh. "Your ship?" He got out of the bed and stood tall. "I'm the captain of this ship. I won't take orders from my subordinates."

"It's not an order." Miranda took a few steps forward and gave Charlie and ice cold stare, standing toe-to-toe. "I'm going to be the one to kick her out of this ship and there is nothing you can do about it to stop me, Chuck."

_Oh boy, now they're back to fighting._ I looked at Liara who gulped awkwardly at the scene in front of us.

"Go ahead then! See where that takes you." Charlie snarled as Miranda began making her way towards the door. I ran right after them.

"Charlie, Miranda. Both of you stop it. Today is not a time to be fighting!" I pleaded.

"What's up with all the yelling? I can hear it from down in engineering." Jack appeared around the corner.

"Not now Jack!" Miranda flared her biotics in frustration.

"Oh, I get it!" Jack mocked, "The Cheerleader is upset at the new competition! Or should I say, the return of a competition. Should I get the popcorn?"

"Jack?" I called out.

"What?"

"Shut up and get out of here."

Jack shook her head and laughed darkly. "Whatever, I hate this high school drama shit anyway." Jack bumped shoulders with Miranda as she made her exit.

Charlie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose once Jack was safely out of eavesdrop. "Look Miri, I don't like this either but let me just talk to her. Jane, I want you there with me."

"Why am I getting in the middle of this?" I furrowed my brows at him. "I have better things to do."

"I'm sure T'Soni is willing to wait until you get back to her." There was a quick grin from the CO before his face turned serious. "Please?"

"Go ahead, Shepard." Liara gave me a bright smile. "I'll be fine. Besides, I'd like to get to know some of the Normandy's ground team...if you don't mind."

I saw Miranda roll her eyes and huffed. "Whatever, have fun. I'll be out of your way." She briskly walked towards her office, tossing and destroying a chair with her biotics along the way.

Charlie gulped and cringed as he looked at the bent chair. "I...I'll talk to her later."

_I hope I'm not going to be there for that encounter._ I gave Liara a chaste kiss before turning to Charlie. "We should go."

**SSV Normandy SR-2 - Captain's Cabin - Commander Alonso - 1120 hours**

"Could you stop that? You're making me nervous." Jane sat on the sofa that faced my bed, watching me pace furiously back and forth. I only slowed the intensity of my pacing. "Do you want me to do the talking?"

"No, I'll be fine. Just thanks...for being here." I looked up from the floor towards the brunette and rolled my eyes. "Take that off."

"What?" Jane asked innocently, swinging her head back and forth so the cotton-soft ball rested behind her head. "It's the only Santa hat I could find on the ship."

"I made sure everyone had one but you." I saw Jane pout through the fish tank's reflection. A nervous knock tapped on my door. I gulped and walked up towards the door, trying to steel myself for this hell I'm about to go through. The door opened and Ashley stood nervously in front of me.

"Y-you wanted to speak to me?"

I nodded and stepped aside to let her in. "I did. Want water?" I walked over to the water pitcher I kept beside my computer terminal on my desk.

"Sure." Ashley stepped forward and noticed the fish tank. "So this is how they dragged you..." I heard her mutter.

"I'm sure there were other reasons." I felt Jane's smirk. It was even more evident when her head appeared over the railing. Ashley and Shepard greeted each other quickly before Ashley sat on ottoman opposite of the Spectre.

"Yeah, finding you." I replied as I filled a glass of water for the Chief. I shook my head briefly. "First of all," I gave her the glass and sat next to Sherpard. "Congratulations, Lieutenant." I forced myself to smile. Ashley caught it and looked down at her feet.

"Thanks, I guess. Feels weird...like this huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders."

I fiddled with my thumbs, shifting awkwardly through the long silence between the three of us. Jane cleared her throat, getting a chuckle from Ashley and I.

"I shouldn't even be here." Jane rubbed the back of her neck. "So I'll be going. You two should have some privacy anyway." I gave Jane a look but she ignored it, only giving me an encouraging smile. The silence was even more awkward as I glanced at the Lieutenant.

_Thanks for abandoning me, Jane._ I breathed deeply and decided to break the ice. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I want to help." She tried.

"I wanted your help back on Horizon." I paused trying to find an explanation for all of this. "Why now?"

"Look I'm sorry. Okay? Are you happy now? I..." Ashley groaned, pulling her hair before she began calming down. "I had all these different emotions that moment. When we parted ways...I was angry. Angry at you but also angry with myself. When I saw you were with Cerberus, I freaked! I never thought I would see you on the side with the enemy. Since then, I've been keeping myself busy to stop thinking about you. It wasn't until recently when I just sat down and thought about Horizon, about what I said." The corner of her eyes began to water. "I'm so sorry I said those things. I really am. I know I hurt you and I just hope that you will forgive me. I want to trust you again and if I can help you finish your mission, maybe things will change. I just want you to give me a second chance to be a part of your team."

My shoulders immediately sank as I watched tears fall down her cheeks. I stood and went to grab a box of tissue beside my bed and gave it to her, gaining an appreciative look in return. I sat back down and began, "I...I was so happy when I first saw you. You were going to be in my life again. Then, you stabbed me in my heart, stomped on it and burned it. So I moved on. I went to the one person that understood who I really was as a human being. What I am capable of and what I am not. I'm human Ash, just like you so I can kind of let this whole thing slide. I've spoken with an old friend earlier this morning and told her my situation with you. She told me to forgive you. I'm honestly conflicted with this. Part of me doesn't want to and hate you forever..." I looked away from Ashley's chocolate brown eyes and down to my twiddling fingers.

"And the other part?" Ashley sniffed.

"The other...well, the other wants to forgive you. So, I'm only left with one choice here." I looked back up at her with a serious mask on my face. "You're going to have to earn it, Ash. You'll stay and I need for you to really work hard to gain my trust again. With time, we'll be back as friends if that's what you want. Understand that there is nothing more that could happen between us, Ash. You are free to date whomever you wish. You deserve someone better than I. You're...a great lover but I can never be with you and I'm sorry."

"Is this other person aboard this ship?" Ashley asked.

_Shit... The one question I wanted to avoid. _"She is, yes." I replied softly and I was surprised when I didn't see her flinch.

"I see..." There was a long pause before she asked, "Who?"

"I'm not in the liberty to discuss."

"Maybe I'll see here around." Ashley challenged.

"I don't think that's wise." I frowned. _The last thing I need is some catfight on my ship...It would've been nice to see in other circumstances like a lingerie pillow fight or- Ugh! Stop that! _"She wants to remove you from the ship personally after what you did to me on Horizon." Ashley stiffened just then.

"I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I screwed up." The Lieutenant burst into tears once more.

I stood and walked towards her and gave her my hand. When she took it, I pulled her up and held her in my arms. "I forgive you, if you forgive me." Ashley clung to me as if for the last time and nodded her head. My shirt collar began getting wet from Ashley's tears and so I held her tighter, brushing my hand through her soft hair. I closed my eyes as we stood there in each other's arms. I smelled her perfume and I began reliving old memories of us together. I quickly pulled away and wiped her tears away. "Come on, let's get out of here. Let me give you a tour and introduce to you my team of dysfunctional bad asses."

* * *

After giving Ashley the tour of the ship and introducing her to my crew -minus Miranda- , she instantly went and chatted with the old Normandy crew. I looked across the hall and saw Miranda talking with Kasumi and Amanda. I frowned as every eye contact shared was met with sharp glares.

"Charlie!" Jane called me over, sitting on the floor with her back against the kitchen counter, drunk as a drunk could be. "Join me!" Not wanting another woman shooting glares at me, I sat beside her and took the bottle of asari wine from her grasp, and taking a long gulp. "How'd everything go?" She managed to word out the sentence.

"Better than I expected." I shrugged my shoulders, "She's got a lot of work to do." Jane hummed, resting her head on my shoulder. "You're drunk." I added.

"No shit! Like I didn't know that!" Jane giggled, attempting to hit what appeared to be my shoulder but ended up hitting me on the cheek. _Wow...this is going to be a long day. _Jane looked over at Miranda's direction and giggled mischievously. "She's pissed off. I could tell." _Yes, even a pyjak could tell when that woman is angry. _"Maybe I should ask Liara if she is willing to add another person in our bed for some steamy three-"

"Aaaand you're done for now." I quickly covered her mouth with my hand, gaining a noise that resembled a squeal. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"Or maybe I'll have you instead." Jane giggled. "I'm sure that'll make Miranda jealous."

I sighed and prayed to the gods. "Jane, be quiet." I punched the door interface of Shepard's quarters and dragged her to her bed. "Don't come out until you're somewhat sober. We've got dinner and presents later tonight."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Jane cried out, saluting before she collapsed and fell to sleep. I rolled my eyes and left to rejoin the party. I cautiously walked my way towards Miranda and cleared my throat.

Amanda nodded and dragged away a curious-looking Kasumi, leaving Miranda and I alone. "Can we talk?"

"No." Miranda didn't bother to look my way, swirling her glass of Champagne. I took a deep breath and grabbed her hands, pulling her towards the elevator. "Let go!" Miranda ripped her hand away and walked towards the opposite corner of the elevator as we rode our way up my cabin on the first floor. The two of us stayed silent during the snail-like climb upwards until the hiss of the elevator doors broke the tension. Miranda stormed out and I quickly followed. I locked the door behind me and waited patiently.

"What do you want?" Miranda asked once she turned around after setting her glass down on the charcoal coffee table, her voice strained with hate.

"I need you to understand that my decision to keep the Lieutenant here is strictly professional." I began evenly. "I didn't do it for spite. I'm giving her one chance to redeem herself and even there, it's going to take a lot of work. I need all the firepower we can get once the Reapers arrive. You know that. They _are_ coming, Miri... I don't have time to hold back grudges or make new enemies right now. Shepard and I need her."

Miranda remained quiet and studied me. For a long while, it seemed before sitting down on the 'L' shaped sofa. "I see... I still don't trust her. What if she turns your back on you?"

"Then I'll deal with it myself." _If I have to kill her, so be it._ "You don't have to acknowledge her if you don't want to. She'll report to me and only me. Just let me handle it."

"If I catch her snooping around where she isn't supposed to..."

"Then you tell me." I finished her sentence. I walked over and sat next to her and rested my left hand on her thigh. "I've made up my mind Miri." I gave her a smile after my other hand stroked her cheek. Miranda smiled back and the two of us met for a soft kiss. "Wait here." I got up and went up towards my desk and went into the bathroom. I locked the door and opened a metal grate on the floor where a squared box wrapped in paper was hidden and retreated back towards my angel sitting with her legs crossed.

"So that's where you hid it." Miranda grinned at first glance of the box. "I should've known."

"I'm glad I could surprise you." I gave her another warm smile as Miranda took the box. She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure where to open this bloody thing! This wrapping is all wrong."

I gulped and scratched my shoulder nervously as I watched Miranda flip and rotate my gift from all angles. "I might've gotten a little carried away."

She rolled her eyes. "A little? You know nothing about this sort of thing do you?"

I felt my cheeks tingling from embarrassment. "This is my first time...I usually just wrap this stuff in foil."

"Why am I not surprised." Miranda's beautiful lips curled upward in that sexy grin of hers, causing me to groan.

"Just open it! Damn it Miri, I'm a soldier not some stay at home boyfriend!"

Miranda leaned over and kissed me on the lips, making sure to bite my bottom lip as she pulled back. "You're sexy when you're pushy." She purred.

_And you're a pain in the ass when you don't follow orders._ I mock glared at her but it went away as soon Miranda began tearing the thin slice of paper, revealing a flap-covered black box. The box crunched open and I was rewarded with a gasp.

Inside was a beautiful heart-shaped necklace. Twenty-five, .85 carat diamonds decorated the outer white-gold heart. Inside of it, was a large black, 'ideal-cut' heart-shaped stone diamond that was connected together by a three prong setting. The pendant had a clasp ring that was attacked to a thin rope chain.

Miranda raised it eye-level and observed the lighting reflect off of the diamonds and shined on Miranda's creamy features. Miranda gasped again. "Chuck...this is beautiful."

I smiled victoriously, "I'm glad you like it. I've never seen you wear jewelry and well, I decided to buy you something that you can wear on special occasions."

The pendant went back into its box and sat on the coffee table before Miranda climbed on top of me and wrapped her hands around my neck, leaning in for another longing kiss. "Thank you. I'll be right back."

I breathed a sigh of relief once Miranda managed to get out of my room, having forgotten that I had locked the door just moments ago.

When my lover returned, she came back with a gift of her own. "My gift?" I smiled as she handed over a perfectly-wrapped gift. Once I carefully opened my Christmas, I told myself, _A picture frame._ I turned it right-side up and gasped just as Miranda did with her gift.

"It's a picture of my parents. From their wedding..." I said aloud as I looked at the photo. The two were happily posing together in their wedding outfits, kissing. Underneath the photo, it read in cursive, '_Eduardo and Samantha Alonso.' _And just below it, it read, '_Married 09-17-2151'_

"God..." I breathed as soon as my eyes began to blur. My hands went across both of my parent's faces before I brought the frame up to my chest. I turned to Miranda and asked, "How did you get this? Where?"

"I did some digging around during the past few weeks. This is the earliest photo I found of them." Miranda smiled.

_This woman...did this all for me. I fucking love her so much. _I tackled her down on the floor with passionate kisses. Words couldn't describe the emotions that were flowing through me. _Might as well just show her._

We ended up naked in our bed pouring with sweat, our bodies gasping from our climax. We kissed and held each other for what felt like hours and let our bodies bask in the warmth of our love for one another.

"Thank you." We said in unison while staring into each other's eyes.

"This is the first Christmas I have ever celebrated." Miranda began drawing circles on my chest, purring happily. "I'm glad you are a part of it."

"I'm just happy to be with you. I'm sure it won't be the last. I love you."

Miranda looked up at me and smiled. "I know." Her head went back down and I was happy enough to hold her. I felt the rise and fall and the heat of her breath touching my chest. I ran my hand through her hair until my eyes grew tired and fell into a blissful nap.

**Two hours later...**

I awoke Miranda-less and with a small ache on my neck. I massaged my aching muscles and made my way down to the crew deck and into Port Observation.

"Commander!" a very drunk ground team yelled out as I entered. They were spread out throughout the room and in small groups.

"I see everyone is having a little fun?" I observed with a small smile as I sat on the couch with Amanda, Tali and Jack sitting on one of the armrests. "What is everyone up to?"

"Getting drunk?" Jack drawled, taking of shot of ryncol. "Where's the Cheerleader?"

I shrugged my shoulders after pulling a shot glass from the bar on the other side of the room. "Working I guess." I began filling my glass with Jack's ryncol when I heard the convict chuckle.

"She might be with Miss Girl scout." As I brought the glass up to my lips, I gave Jack a curious look. Jack grinned and immediately responded. "Shepard." The alcohol escaped my lips and landed on Grunt, who growled at me.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jack. Miranda isn't stupid enough to do that."

Jack laughed at the face I made and punched me on the arm. "Relax playboy. I'm only joking."

_I wish you didn't. _I looked at Grunt and shrugged my shoulders. "Sorry about that."

Grunt grunted, stood up and left, muttering, "This is going to rust."

"I'm surprised he restrained himself from destroying you, Commander." Liara breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her biotics.

"Haven't you heard?" Jack tsked, "That log thinks Charlie and Shepard are his mommy and daddy." Jack laughed, "What a fucking pussy."

"Yes...I happen to have the displeasure of seeing it firsthand." Liara's cheek turned a lovely shade of purple and I decided to have a little fun with the young asari maiden.

"Oh? Jealous doc?" I winked at the asari and watched her stiffen.

"I-I...I do not know what you are talking about Commander."

I stifled a laugh as Amanda and Tali giggled and Jack grinned. I decided to continue. "Oh come on. Jane and I share a connection that you don't have: A kid of our own."

"I...but!"

With Liara's eyes wide as could be and cheeks turning deep purple, the three ladies next to me broke into a fits of laughter and a small smile spread across my lips. "You're too cute T'Soni."

"I should go." T'Soni cleared her throat and made her exit.

"That was a bit cruel, don't you think?" Amanda grinned while shaking her head.

"Me? Cruel?" I gave the young engineer a hurt look, "I could never do that! The nerve!" I broke into laughter as I hung out with my crew throughout the afternoon.

* * *

**Part II will be posted...when it's done I guess. I have a really small rough draft that will be extended to my usual chapter lengths. Though these are Christmas chapters that revolve around the Normandy crew, I have one character outside of the ship that I _really, REALLY _want to cover in part two... and you guys will suffer through the wait ;)**

**I wish I could give you an exact date on Part II's release but my mind hasn't been very cooperative with both Citadel High and Resurrection and I am truly sorry.**

**But until then: Favorite, follow and review!**

**They really help!**

**Until next time! :)**


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